Traditionally during the Lenten period, the focus is on the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer and fasting become things we either totally ignore or allow to take over our lives. People rally to rise before the sun to spend time on their knees or increase of consumption of decaf coffee on Sunday mornings, setting aside caffeine to refocus their hearts. Yet, the idea of almsgiving often gets ignored because of confusion about what an ‘alms’ is and how to give it.

Almsgiving is different from a tithe or a sacrificial gift because of who it focuses on. Tithe is our choice of obedience in giving back a portion of what God has given us, uniting us in His work, and allowing us to be a part of it. It is a joy to tithe and see what God will do miraculously through a regular rhythm in our lives. In a way, tithing is like entry-level access to the incredible world of generosity.

The lane of sacrificial giving, or offerings, opens the opportunity to give above and beyond a basic level of obedience. This avenue presses deeper into our hearts to examine what is taking root above what God is leading us to. Choosing to sacrifice something from our wants and desires to prioritize God in our lives adjusts our hearts in a distinct way. Who or what is really sitting on the throne? Is it God Almighty, the Savior of your soul, or perhaps the sweet car you checked out this weekend or the kitchen of your dreams? These things aren’t explicitly wrong, but let us check them in our hearts. God will bring overwhelming joy and gratitude to His people as He continues to work on this earth no matter what, and this is a way to be a part of it!

That still leaves us with how almsgiving fits into the whole picture. The word alms is seen in the Bible as showing mercy or kindness to another. Historically, it has come to represent charitable giving to someone who has less than you, but it should be a gift motivated by love. How does our perspective change when we want to give someone alms? To offer someone not just money but mercy, not just kudos but kindness. Let us consider those around us who would benefit from almsgiving during this Lenten season. Can we offer our presence and give our gifts (of time, giftings, and resources of all kinds)? Open our eyes to the work God wants to do through us as we open our eyes to those around us. That very thought could do more in us alone, even apart from adding it to our new rhythms of prayer and fasting. One of the most radical things about any of these Lenten concepts is the need to slow down to experience them, but is that a choice we’re willing to make?

To Reflect:

• How have you experienced the joys of generosity through tithing?

• What might be taking priority in your heart over giving?

• Who would benefit from almsgiving in your life?

• How might the world change if we all made almsgiving a regular part of our lives?