My offering

I have been working on a pretty extensive project with my home church, LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, CO. We produce a quarterly magazine of stories, church programs and devotionals. This summer, the magazine went through a pretty major redesign. Along with the redesign, I wanted to go part time, so there's a new full time director. I thought I was working pretty well with the new director and riding the wave of the redesign pretty well. On one of the pretty good weeks, I prayed on the way to work, "God, let this work...this new publication... be an offering to you. Every day I work on it, let it be pleasing to you and used for your purpose."

That was my prayer on a good day. Deadlines approached. It was getting more difficult to work with new staff people (because of the deadlines), and I heard the new director showing my former bosses the magazine comp. They loved the redesign. I should have been happy to overhear that..but I wasn't. "That used to be me in the room unveiling the work!" I suddenly went through an identity crisis. What was my worth now? My attitude turned south. I had been so deadline driven, stressed out and become a little too proud of the offering.

I went to bed replaying the disappointment. In the middle of the night, I woke up and all I could think about were the words: "this just stinks." You know what stunk? It wasn't the redesign, the project, the people, or even the deadlines. The stench was coming from my offering. I had gotten sloppy with my attitude and made the offering-well-stink!

Exodus 29:25 is one of many verses describing the offerings the Israelites made to God. "Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD, an offering made to the LORD by fire." God was always pretty clear on his instruction for giving an offering. He was pretty clear to me as well. There was no pleasing aroma coming from my offering earlier that day. In fact, though the final product was very good, my attitude had soured the offering. God doesn't need a magazine. He wants me to use my gifts graciously and gratefully for him and let nothing hinder my offering. 2 Corinthians 8:7 says, "But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

I was giving based on what I was going to get--the respect of my peers, the compliment from my superiors, personal satisfaction on the project. Note the verse does not say excel in giving. But the GRACE of giving. The attitude of my offering is where the pleasing aroma comes from.

So, no more stinky offerings. At at least not this week.