Do I Need to Give My Offering If My Roof Is Leaking?
This was the question that I was asking God this week.
On Sunday morning, before I left for church, I sat down, grabbed my checkbook (yes, I still give a check), and paused. What caused my pause?
My leaking roof.
You see, this weekend, the Nor’Easter storm we had dumped a massive amount of rain on our city for hours on end. In fact, as I write this, it’s still raining. The result? Our roof started leaking. Not just in one area, but in four different areas. We also discovered that several of our windows were leaking.
Normally, our family would have what’s called an emergency savings fund to address issues like this. But because of a number of factors (mainly having children in college), the emergency fund…is in a state of emergency itself.
So, on Sunday morning, as I was about to write my offering check for the month, I couldn’t help but think about the buckets scattered around my house collecting rainwater. And my thought—and question—before the Lord was this:
“Really, Lord?”
I had to pause and ask God, “Do I really need to give my offering while my roof and windows are leaking, damage is being done to our home, and essential repairs need to be made?” Perhaps you have found yourself in the same place. Your essentials are not being met. You and your family have needs. Perhaps the thought, “God understands why I just can’t this month,” has crossed your mind.
As I prayed, and more accurately, questioned God, here was the answer I sensed: “Your needs and financial pressures don't exempt you from the practice of living by faith and generosity.”
Now, I’m not confident enough in what I “hear” from God to always take it at face value right away. I need Scripture to confirm what I heard. Scripture is my security blanket. In God’s kindness, three passages came to mind.
1. Mark 12:41–44 — The Widow's Offering
“A poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little…She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Here God reminded me that she gave out of her poverty, not out of her abundance. Her extreme need and poverty didn’t prevent her from worshiping God through generosity. This was a kind reminder for my struggling faith. Generosity isn't something we do when we have enough. Generosity is an act of trust when we don't.
2. 1 Kings 17:8–16 — The Widow of Zarephath
The second passage that came to mind was the widow who was down to her last meal and was asked to give it up by faith. She tells Elijah:
“I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug.”
These ingredients were reserved for her to make one final meal for herself and her son. Yet God calls her to trust Him with what she has. As you read the rest of the story, the same theme is present here as in the example above.
Our needs present us with an opportunity to trust God. God presents us with an opportunity to respond in faithful obedience. And as we respond faithfully, we get to rely on God’s provision.
Both of these widows teach us that we don’t give only when our circumstances are comfortable. Biblical generosity is fundamentally an act of trust. We give when there isn’t enough.
3. 2 Corinthians 8:1–5 — Generosity in Hardship
“During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity…They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.”
For sure, my leaking house is an inconvenience. I would even say it’s a discomfort. But it’s not an affliction. My house is leaking because it was built in 1820. It’s 206 years old. But even though it’s not an affliction, this passage does highlight another important truth for me to consider as I struggle to write my offering check this month:
Christian giving isn't fundamentally about money. It's about giving ourselves to the Lord.
These were the significant pieces that I was missing on Sunday morning. I was so wrapped up in my circumstances and needs that I was moments away from missing God’s invitation to me through my broken house—to exercise faith, to trust Him to meet my essential needs, and to give myself to Him and His will.
How did this story end? Well, I wrote the check, walked up to the giving box, closed my eyes, and told the Lord: “I give this by faith this morning…and please don’t forget to meet my family’s needs.”
Do I need to give my offering if my roof is leaking? Yes.
Not because God doesn't care about my leaking roof, but because my circumstances don't change who my God is. Biblical giving and generosity isn't contingent on having everything I need. Rather, it’s about trusting the One who does.