I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

Philippians 4:18

As we saw earlier in the letter, the Philippians had sent gifts to Paul and here he acknowledges them.

Although the gifts were sent to Paul and supply him with his needs, he describes them as an offering to God because they had been given to support Paul’s service of God.

We give to God’s work, because it pleases Him and giving sacrificially has always been a key method of worshipping God from right back in the Old Testament times.  The Philippians gifts follow the same pattern as the Old Testament offerings to God involving the giving of something at a cost to the giver in order to please God in response to his goodness towards us.  In todays world of direct debits and gift aid do we get forget or get sidetracked from the one who we are serving through our gifts?

How do you view your giving?