Deuteronomy 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
This passage of scripture teaches us that our giving, which begins after our tithes are returned, should be proportionate to the many blessings bestowed on us by God, and such offerings are to be made, before our current bills are paid. We observe in the passage that no mention of our own personal expenses are to be brought into the equation, because our offerings to God should not be reckoned against personal bills and payments, but as the scripture clearly states, according to the blessings we receive from God. In other words, the mortgage note and the monthly car payment are not to be brought into the equation, when deciding how much to give, for if God has blessed us tremendously, then our offerings and gifts to Him should also be tremendous, not being subject to those expenses which we personally incur.
A general misunderstanding of this principle causes many Christians to bring leftovers to the treasury, for it is often the case that our offerings are given from the remnants, after our bills are paid, and this should never ever be the case, for God is the Great King of the universe, and therefore our offerings to Him should be commensurate with His exalted office and Person. If we were to give a gift to someone who is homeless, much thought and much expense might not be a consideration, but if we were to give a present to the president of the United States, then it certainly would not be those singles or five dollar bills that are often given to the beggar on the street.
God should not be treated as a beggar, neither should the gifts brought into His treasury be inferior or lame, but rather in harmony with His matchless love and greatness. This is one of the reasons why the following passage of scripture is written, so that when we give, it will be from a willing and ready mind, with the understanding of who God is. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
A good way for us to avoid the sin of disproportionate giving is to return our offerings as a stipulated percentage of our earnings, financial, and material gifts, instead of giving a set sum every pay cycle. Let's say for instance if a person works for $800.00 every two weeks, but then gives a set amount of $30.00 in offerings, then if God blesses that person with financial blessings in the form of a promotion or a pay raise, then the same set sum will be returned, but the $30.00 will not be proportionate to the increase which God blessed the individual with. And so to avoid this snare, it is highly advisable to return a covenanted percentage of our increase, so that if the blessings increase, the offerings will also increase proportionately, and if for some reason the blessings go down, then the offerings will also go down too.
When a plan such as this is followed consistently, then we will never be guilty of robbing God in our finances, and thus we will be able to have a clear conscience in such matters. We will therefore end with a passage of scripture which instructs us to look at the great sacrifice Christ made in our behalf, with the intent that we may see that whatsoever we may return as offerings, really pale in comparison, yet it should be done with a willing and grateful heart. Let's read:
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!