Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. – Leviticus 22:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 11, 2018): Leviticus 22

One of the phrases that I hear a little too often, and that I really don’t like to hear at all, is “it is good enough for the church.” With that reasoning, the church becomes the recipient of old furniture, leftovers, and many other remains for which people have no use. And, sometimes, the gifts are of some use and appreciated. But too often what is brought into the church is junk. It is stuff that probably should be taken to the dump, but it is cheaper and easier just to bring it to the church.

One memory that sticks with me was a couch that was donated to the youth of the church. The couch came without a set of legs. The springs in the couch were weak. And I watched as young girls would sit on the couch, and their bottoms sank, and their knees rose, and if they were wearing a dress or a skirt, they had to be careful about how much of their bodies they showed as they sat down. The couch was inappropriate for use in the church, and I had a few volunteers remove it from the room and take it to the dump, where the couch should have been taken in the first place.

The law often repeats that our offerings, our gifts to God, need to be without defect. God is not interested in our leftovers. He does not want gifts that cost us nothing, or gifts which are broken down and used beyond the life of the article. What we give to God, and the church, should be a sacrifice on our part.

But our culture seems to argue for the reverse. The tithe we bring should be the first ten percent, but we substitute what is leftover in our bank accounts at the end of the month. The sacrifice was to be the firstborn of the flock and not a random animal for which we have no use or a diseased or handicapped animal that is of no value. Everything that we bring to God should be the best of what we have. And with this command, God reaffirms his expectation that we will put him first, above everything else that competes for our attention.

The question we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis is this; Is God really first in my life? Or do I bring him the junk and the leftovers of my life? Even the phrase “good enough for the church” seems to recognize that God does not occupy the place of honor that he desires from us. In every area of our life, in every offering, in every volunteer task, God wants our best. “Good enough” simply isn’t good enough. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 23