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.
God is a fair God who never expects from someone what they cannot give. The verse above states, Every man shall give as he is able,… God could have easily said that He wanted everyone to give the same, but He did not. He asked His people to give according to their ability.
God did not change this principle in the New Testament. Jesus says in Mark 12:30, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Notice the phrase, with all thy. God did not say to love Him with how another loves Him, but to love Him according to how you can love Him. God does not expect you to give according to how another can give, but He expects you to give according to how you can give.
This principle is the key to pleasing God. We are prone to measure how we are doing by comparing what we do to what another does. The mentality of comparing what you do to another leads to discouragement or pride, depending on which side of the comparison chart you are on. God is fair in that He wants you to give according to your ability. This means that you can do something. It does not matter how big or small you do; the only thing that matters to God is that you gave according to your ability.
Let me illustrate. A child who gets a “B+” on their report card but could get an “A” is not right with God. However, the child that gets a “B” and that is their best is right with God because they did their best. The child that got the “B+” looks like the better student, but they are not because they could have done better.
In the Christian walk, God measures you by your ability and not by another’s. How much you put into the offering plate is not as important as you giving what you can give. When God commands us to tithe, the ten percent we are to give is according to our ability. If we made one hundred dollars that week and we give the ten dollars we owe for a tithe, God is very pleased. However, if we made a thousand dollars but only gave fifty dollars, that does not please God because we did not give to our ability. Everyone can afford the ten percent, whether you made much or little.
Moreover, your ability to serve God is not measured by how much you do, but by how much you do according to your ability. I have elderly saints in my church that will go soul winning for an hour a week, but that one hour is according to their ability. I have others who go soul winning for two hours a week. Now, it matters not if you went one or two hours; it only matters if you went soul winning according to your ability.
My friend, you know what your ability is and if you are giving to your ability. You can fool others with what you do, but you know if you are giving your best. We all have different capabilities and limitations, and God knows what these are as much as you do, but He expects you to give according to your ability and not according to what another has done. Are you helping others according to your ability? Are you giving according to your ability? Are you serving God according to your ability? You can do something for God because all He expects is for you to give, love, and serve Him according to your ability.
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