As normal, for our area, donations received during the Harvest Festival were mainly in the form of long life goods for the food bank. A representative for the food bank passed on their thanks from themselves and on the behalf of those who need to use the food bank – which was nice!

But, during the service I glanced around at all the tins of food and I was thinking…

I thought back to when I was a child and we were asked to take something in for the school and church harvest festivals. Mother would go through the cupboard and present us with a tin, “You can take that” she’d say “no one likes that one”!

I thought about comments I have heard from varying sources on such occasions of: “And everybody bring a tin. Everyone always has something in the cupboard they don’t like so there’s no excuse.”

I thought that, whilst given the choice between nothing and a tin of food that has only been chosen as a donation because nobody likes it then there may well be some gratitude, because anything may well be better than nothing – if it is the only food you can get and you are actually starving. BUT does that make our reason the right reason when we choose what to give?

I thought, shouldn’t we be giving the best we can offer. It is to God to whom we are giving our offerings. It is to God we are giving thanks for the harvest and that we are fortunate enough to have something to eat. When donations leave the altar and make their way to the food bank to feed those in need they are also “feeding Jesus”. Surely, therefore, it should indeed be the best we can offer.

Whilst it is true that people have different tastes and it may well be that a food one person hates is another person’s favourite; the important thing is the motive. What is the motive behind the choice of product? Is it the best we can offer or is it actually just a case of wanting that item out our cupboard? Are we giving our Lord the best of our harvest or the dregs?

What is written in our hearts is known. No excuses can be made.

So when such choices are to be made, remember we should be giving of our best with a pure heart (the right motive) – not finally getting rid of that tin that nobody likes but providing a feast fit for a King – our Saviour.