You have never given God anything. We have only returned to Him what is already His—that’s what the Bible makes clear.
A.W. Tozer said it like this:
I am obliged to tell you that God doesn’t need anything that you have. He does not need a dime of your money. It is your own spiritual welfare that’s at stake. You have the right to keep all that you have to
yourself. But if you do, it will rust and decay, and ultimately ruin you.
God is a creator, not a consumer. As a result, the things that we give to Him, He multiplies and He blesses. He doesn’t keep for Himself. That’s why this is so integral to financial success—when you learn about giving to God with all of your heart, you will find that God will bless the rest in ways that you cannot expect or imagine.
I am sure that there are some in here that have had a bad experience with a church, or a bad experience with a pastor. Right now, you’re saying in your heart, “I don’t care what you say. I am not about to turn loose of any money and give it.”
Ultimately, it is not about whether you are giving to a church or to a pastor; it’s about whether you are giving it to God. If you are giving to God, God will bless it. He will honor it, and He will multiply it beyond your wildest imagination.