In our house, a good meal is normally enjoyed once, as my family isn’t big on eating leftovers. I think everyone would agree that food is best and most appreciated when it is first prepared, hot and fresh, the way it was meant to be. Rarely is a meal just as appetizing once it has been sitting cold in the fridge and then nuked in the microwave. We also have a tendency to eat the best parts of the meal first, leaving the less desired parts for last….the hard crust, pieces that are a little too well-done, dark meat, lettuce that looks slightly wilted, or that spot on an apple that has been bruised. 

In the Bible, God consistently calls his people to give their firstfruits back to him. These days, people get uncomfortable talking about money. We feel that what we earn is, as my 2 year old would say, “Mine!” In the New Testament, when Christ tells us to be “cheerful givers,” many people use this as an excuse to give less, because they are doing it “cheerfully.” I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to part with our money. This is especially true when money is tight, the economy is bad, and we feel stretched thin financially. It can be scary giving up resources that we don’t feel we can afford. Trust me, being a family supported by ministry, we know this feeling well. But, that doesn’t make it acceptabe to spend what we think we need to spend, and give God the little bit that’s leftover, if any. Do we not believe that God will provide?

In Malachi chapter 3, God rebukes his people for “robbing” him by giving less than what he had called them to give. He then tells them to “bring the whole tithe….Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Imagine how much blessing you are missing when you fail to give God what is already his. There have been times when we have written that check to the church, not knowing how we were going to pay for other things. But, God has always provided for us. We have never wanted for anything. Giving God the firsts of your resources exhibits your trust that he will take care of you. It shows obedience by following his commands. It strengthens your faith. It opens your life to tremendous blessing, and it supports the church’s work.  

The same goes for our time with God. Too often, we find ourselves at the end of the day, exhausted, and realizing we haven’t spent any quiet time with God. So, God gets the leftovers of our time. After we’ve done everything else that we want and need to do, we may squeeze in those last few minutes with God before falling asleep….unless we fall asleep while reading or praying. That’s also called giving God the leftovers of our energy. God deserves the first of our time, and the first of our energy. He deserves quality time with us when we are most alert. He deserves the first moment of time we have available, distraction free. He deserves the hot meal, made from scratch and freshly prepared, not the leftovers…and certainly not the pieces of crust that nobody else wanted. Maybe God’s words in Malachi also apply to the giving of our time. If we give God the firstfruits of our time and energy, maybe he will bless us with the time to accomplish all the other things we desire as well.

Nobody likes leftovers….especially not the Creator of the Universe.