The Heart of Giving and Honor

God is refining how we see giving. Not as an act of obligation, but as a reflection of the heart. It’s not about money, it’s about what our giving says about who we are, what we believe, and how deeply we honor God.

From Receiving to Giving

Every move of God requires a crossing over. Just as Israel had to cross the Jordan to enter promise, we too must cross over from being people who receive to being people who give. For years, the church has spoken about faith, fear, and trust. But now, the Lord is teaching us to understand the principles of giving and to live them out.

When Jesus sent out His apostles in Matthew 10, He told them to take no money, no bag, no script because they were sent with something far greater: grace and peace. Wherever they went, that grace made provision. The same principle remains. Spiritual grace releases material supply.

The Heart Behind the Hand

True giving starts in the heart. Genesis 4 tells the story of Cain and Abel. Two brothers who both brought offerings, yet only one’s gift was accepted. The difference wasn’t in what they gave, but in who they were when they gave.

• Cain’s name means to acquire or to possess. His mindset was, “I worked for this. I earned it.”

• Abel’s name means breath or emptiness. His posture was, “Without God, I am nothing.”

  
  

Cain gave out of ownership, Abel gave out of honor. One gave a donation, the other gave a firstfruit. The best, the first, the most excellent sacrifice. That’s why Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.

God respected Abel first and then his offering. He rejected Cain first, and then his offering. Because the gift is only as acceptable as the heart behind it.

Giving as an Expression of Honor

Honor is not lip service. It’s weight, value, and esteem expressed in action. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.”

Abel honored God by giving first and best, acknowledging that every blessing came from Him. In contrast, Cain saw himself as the source of his success, and his giving reflected that pride.

When you give first to God, you are declaring, “You are my source. You are my strength. You are my provider.” That’s the spirit of honor.

The Power of the First

Throughout Scripture, the principle of first carries power and purpose. The first opens the womb, breaks barriers, and produces increase. That’s why God gave His firstborn Son. Because the first has the power to redeem the rest.

Abel’s offering, the firstborn of his flock and its fat, symbolized giving God the best portion. The “fat” represents abundance, the finest, the richest. When we honor God with our first and best, we acknowledge His hand in every harvest.

Honor Reveals What’s in the Heart

Our giving exposes what’s going on inside us. When we start out giving freely but grow wealthy and give less, something’s shifted in the heart. The Lord said through Malachi, “If I am a Father, where is My honor?” (Malachi 1:6). Honor is not about filling a need. It’s about recognizing who He is.

When your giving is rooted in honor, it carries faith, gratitude, and recognition. When it’s rooted in pride or fear, it becomes empty ritual.

Honor Has Tangible Expression

Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:17–18, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor… The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Honor always manifests in doing, through giving, support, and generosity. It’s never just an attitude.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Mark 7 for creating “traditions” that excused them from honoring their parents. He called it hypocrisy because true honor is always shown in tangible ways. You can’t claim to honor with words but withhold your hand.

The Honor That Unlocks Grace

The Shunammite woman discerned grace in Elisha and built a room for him. Her action of honor unlocked a prophetic flow that changed her life. Likewise, the grace you honor is the grace that works for you. The anointing you recognize and make room for becomes the anointing that multiplies in your life.

Honor is a spiritual value system rooted in the heart, but incomplete until it is demonstrated. It’s not just what you say, it’s what you do that reveals your esteem for God and His servants.

Transitioning into a fathering church means maturing into sons and daughters who give, not out of guilt or ritual, but out of revelation. Our giving must echo Abel’s heart: “All that I have came from You. ”Because giving is not a transaction. It’s an act of honor.