Giving by faith requires giving God the firstfruits of one’s increase. The Lord not only wants us to bring our gifts to Him but also wants us to give to Him first. According to Proverbs 3:9, we should honour the Lord with the firstfruits of our increase. We are not to pay all our bills only to give God the leftovers. God is to take first place each and every time. This makes giving to Him an act of faith. After all, “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). This includes the area of giving where so many seem to struggle so much. Is God honoured when we decide to simply give Him the leftovers? Certainly not! Yet, when we give God the first of our increase, we signify to Him that we trust that He will meet the remaining needs we may have.
The Bible likens a mature Christian to one who exercises. Exercise involves work for it to be most profitable. Many people start exercising with exuberance and zeal, yet quit when the workout begins to get difficult. This too unfortunately applies to those who start out wanting to live a godly life. Too many Christians quit simply because spiritual growth takes a lot of hard work and effort. Today’s passage contrasts the difference between a babe in Christ and a believer enjoying the meat of God’s word. The babe enjoys the milk of God’s word (the basic truths) but the milk limits the extent of his growth; whereas, the mature Christian wants to grow stronger through learning the truths that babes cannot yet handle. The strong Christian exercises his senses enabling him to discern between good and evil. He works hard. He does not quit though times get tough. He keeps reading his Bible. He keeps praying. He keeps obeying the Lord. When he stumbles, he simply picks himself back up, brushes himself off, and keeps moving forward, onward, and upward. So get up and go!
