Give Back

"The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. We will not neglect the house of our God." Nehemiah 10:39 NIV

The last line of that verse keeps playing over and over in my mind, "We will not neglect the house of our God." While these verses do speak on tithing, I believe we often think tithing is only about money. However, we are also expected to tithe of our time and our giftings. Whatever we have been given, we should give back to the Lord as He asks of us. If you have been given a gifting or talent, God would expect you to use that in some way for His glory. That is not to say that you can not also use it in the Earth. It is to say that earthly venues are not the only place they should be used.

How often do we say that we don't think we can contribute anything to the church? I believe God created everyone with a purpose and therefore each person has something instilled in them that is already useful to the church. Each person may serve in different ways, but all can serve in some way.

Are we neglecting the house of our God by leaving the church needs out of our agenda? Have we asked how we can serve? Have we prayed about where God could use us? Have we fit the church into our schedule? Have we given back to God as He so freely gives to us? Church work certainly isn't easy work, but it is rewarding work. Serving in a church should not ever be a question for a Christian. It should be a given, if even in the smallest of ways.

At one time, someone in a church probably reached out to you or served in a capacity that allowed you to encounter God in a spiritual setting while they worked behind the scenes. Now that you have matured in your spiritual walk, is it time to do that for someone else? Think about it.