Heart Check

The LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

As a man and his son came out of church one Sunday morning, the man complained that the service went too long. His little boy said, “Daddy, I thought it was pretty good since you only had to pay a dime.”

Though this story is humorous, it makes an important point. Some people might look at the man’s offering and laugh, believing it to be small and insignificant. But it is not the amount that is shameful; it is the state of the man’s heart. The Bible says, “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Because God gives to us out of love, He would much rather receive a small gift given wholeheartedly than a large offering given from a grumbling heart. With that in mind, every time we give to the Lord, we should do a quick heart check to make sure we are giving willingly and cheerfully, because no matter the amount, it is our heart that God sees and values above all else.

The world asks, “How much does he give?” Christ asks, “Why does he give?”

JOHN RALEIGH MOTT