Everything God commands is for our good.
But what about giving God our firstfruits? How is that for our good?
Some argue that God never commands us to give to the church. That claim simply doesn’t hold up. The Old Testament is filled with commands to give back to God, and Jesus himself affirms these practices in his dialogue with the Pharisees.
But if God owns everything, why does he need what’s “mine”?
That’s the problem—nothing is actually ours. Everything belongs to him. True, the commandment against stealing affirms the reality of private property (and no, Acts is not an endorsement of socialism). But Scripture makes clear that all creation is God’s possession, and whatever we hold we hold only as temporary stewards.
If it already belongs to him, then why does he ask us to give it back?
The answer lies in the purpose of tithing. God commands us to give because he knows how tightly we cling to possessions. As dependent creatures, we look to things—money, resources, security—to sustain us. They become the props we lean on for our future and even the coverings we hide behind for our shame.
Money will not save us. Possessions do not solve the problem. These things give us a false hope and security.
God’s command for us to give back to him is intended to help free us from these deceptions that ensnare us.
Giving is a spiritual discipline. It is meant to press into our souls the truth that God alone sustains us. Not wealth, not possessions—only him. Everything we have belongs to him and will one day return to him. Nothing created can grant eternal life; only God can. When we give back, we anchor our hope in someone far more trustworthy than money: in God himself, who is faithful, powerful, gracious, and kind.
Giving guards us against enslavement to money. Jesus warned us that no one can serve two masters. Money doesn’t settle for being a servant—it demands to be the master. By returning our firstfruits to God, we declare our freedom from its tyranny.
That’s why giving should be a joy. It’s joyful because it’s an act of love for God—something tangible that delights him. He takes pleasure when his children mirror his generosity. It’s joyful because it’s an act of freedom. To give is to prove that money no longer rules your life.
Another reason giving brings joy is that it re-centers our trust. When we return our firstfruits to God, we are acknowledging what is already true—that everything belongs to him. That act of release becomes a lived reminder that in God there is more than enough.
If God, and not wealth or possessions, is the one who sustains us, then our fears about lack and scarcity begin to lose their grip. We no longer have to worry about tomorrow because the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10) is the same God who promises to provide for his children. Giving shifts our eyes from what we might lose to the reality of what we can never lose: God himself, who is inexhaustible in power, mercy, and provision.
This is why giving is not simply a duty but a delight. Every act of generosity trains our hearts to remember that we are sustained not by the frail security of a bank account but by the unshakable sufficiency of God. And if God himself is our portion, then we can live freely, joyfully, and without fear, because in him there is nothing lacking.
In Him, there is more than enough.
So when we give, we are not losing something—we are gaining freedom. We are stepping into joy, sharing in God’s own generous nature, and reminding ourselves again and again: our hope rests in him, not in what we own.
Matt Ayars is Lead Pastor at Wellspring Methodist Church in Madison.
