Rethinking Generosity
Thanksgiving Not Just Giving
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“The leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly… The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and David the king also rejoiced greatly.” (1 Chronicles 29:6–9)
Growing up in the Nigerian church was an unforgettable experience. As a child with an inherited faith, I often found the long Sunday services difficult to endure. Yet two moments always broke through the fatigue: praise and worship, and offering time. We placed our envelopes in our hands and danced forward to the beat of drums and gospel choruses. Two joyful lines swayed toward the altar—fathers, mothers, youth—each one giving with laughter and thanksgiving. At the time, I only thought the music was beautiful. But looking back now, I realize something profound was taking place. That dance was not performance, it was revelation. We were acting out a truth that David and his people once embodied, that giving is not philanthropy, it is worship.
The Heart of Offering
In 1 Chronicles 29, David rallies Israel to contribute to the building of God’s temple. He declares, “The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord.” And when the people give willingly, the nation rejoices, not because of the amount, but because of the heart. Here lies the principle: giving is not generosity but thanksgiving. How can the beneficiary be generous to the Benefactor? When we give to God, we return what already came from Him. David’s own prayer makes this plain:
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)
Every resource entrusted to us—wealth, time, skill—is a loan from Heaven. We are not donors in God’s kingdom, we are stewards.
Prosperity with a Purpose
The prophet Zechariah records God saying, “My cities shall again spread abroad through prosperity” (Zech. 1:17). The work of God requires resources, but the supply already exists in the hands of His people. The question is whether the middlemen, the stewards, will remember the Source. In David’s generation, they did. They recognized that provision was not for comfort but for contribution. They built a temple; we are called to build His Church—not just the physical structures, but the living witness of Christ across the earth.
Beyond the Tithe Debate
Today, many Christians wrestle over whether the tithe is still “required.” But such arguments often expose a deeper issue: a heart that negotiates with gratitude. Thanksgiving doesn’t bargain with percentages. It pours out whatever honors the One who gave all. When Jesus observed the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41–44), He declared that she gave more than the rich, for she gave all she had to live on. True giving flows from a heart captured by grace, not compelled by law.
So yes, tithing remains a covenant principle, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” God says in Malachi 3:10. But it must never become mechanical. As Paul reminds us, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). If giving what came from God steals our joy, something in us has forgotten Who gave it. The problem is not the portion but the posture. We cannot expect the kingdom to move through others while we withhold what Heaven placed in our care.
From Generosity to Thanksgiving
The work of the gospel is vast, “the task is great,” as David said, and it demands both builders and resources. If we withhold our part, how will the gospel advance? The wealth God entrusts to us is meant to flow, not stagnate. It is seed for the spreading of His kingdom, not storage for our security. For the advancing believer, mere giving must give way to thanksgiving, radical gratitude births radical generosity and thanksgiving turns resources into worship.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Lord, everything I have comes from You.
Deliver me from the illusion of ownership.
Let my giving be a song of thanksgiving, a dance of gratitude, a testimony that You alone provide.
Use my hands, my work, my wealth, to build Your house and advance Your kingdom.
And let joy, not duty, be the rhythm of my offering.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.