Personal Accountability To Him

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper.

1 Corinthians 16:2

There is a rumor afoot that God holds churches accountable for how much they give. But that’s all it is—a rumor. That’s not the truth. In no place does the Bible even hint that God holds a church accountable for its giving. However, God does operate on an individual accountability basis. And that’s very clear in Scripture.

When we give ourselves to God first, we understand that we are accountable to Him as His people. The Bible says we are to lay aside each week that which God has entrusted to us. And we are reminded over and over in the New Testament that someday we are to give an account to God for what we have done.

If I have given myself to God first, if I have said, “God, everything that I am, everything that I have belongs to You,” then I don’t really have to live in fear of that day of accountability. I’ve already had my day of accountability. I’ve stood before God the best I know how and said, “God, You direct me, and I’ll be a channel for whatever You put in my hands. I am going to be accountable to You as You tell me in Your Word You want me to be.”