Giving to God is an act of worship. It is a part of what we are commanded to do when worshipping God on the first day of the week. Listen to the instructions that Paul gave to the saints at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV)
² On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

That this is a part of the worship service of the early church is made clear by the specific day that the saints were commanded to give. If they were just storing up money at home, why would it have to be on the first day of the week? Giving to God is important. It is a demonstration of our love for the Lord and our commitment to His cause. Like any act of worship, it must come from the heart and should be done joyfully.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)
⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

First, Paul tells us that we must give. Giving to the Lord cannot be neglected, anymore than any other act of worship in which we are commanded to engage. In his first epistle to the saints at Corinth, Paul instructed them to give. This is what he wrote to them:

1 Corinthians 16:2 (KJV)
² Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Notice who is commanded to give. It was not just part of the church at Corinth, but each member who had the means. Paul said, “let every one of you lay by him in store…” Would you ever think of saying, “I am going to stop praying,” or “I am not going to sing anymore.” I know that you would never even think of such a thing. Why, then, would we ever think it is okay not to give?

Not only must we give (which is probably the wrong way to say it, since giving is actually a privilege and a blessing), but we must give with the proper attitude. Paul said that we should never give reluctantly. To do so would demonstrate that we are not too interested in the cause of Christ after all, at least not as much as we are some other things on which we would rather spend our money. We should never forget the value of our Lord’s cause, and how fortunate we are to be a part of it. We should want to do all we can to advance the cause. In fact, giving monetarily should be the least that we do for it.

Instead of giving reluctantly, Paul tells us that we should give cheerfully because that is what God loves. Again, we must remember that giving is worship, and any time we are giving glory to God by worshipping Him, whether it is by singing, praying, giving, or in some other way, it is only genuine worship if it comes from a proper heart. Praise God by giving Him back a portion of what He has given you. As Moses reminded the Israelites, we should remember that it is God who has given us the power to gain our wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.