So I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised generous gift, that the same would be ready as a generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness. (v. 5)

God does not eat or drink as we humans do. He does not require material things to fulfill His needs. Everything belongs to Him, and He is not in need of our offerings. Yet God allows us to experience what it is like to be in need. He also gives us the heart to share what we have with others who are in need. This spirit of sharing is rooted in agape—sacrificial love.

No one can truly say, “I have everything; I need nothing,” because life is full of unexpected turns. One day you may be comfortably living in your own house, and the next you may find yourself with nothing. When we go through difficult times, we ask for God’s mercy. He moves the hearts of others to help us. In the same way, by knowing what it is like to be in need, we learn to help others who are in need.

God has given me material things. They are entrusted to me, and I have the freedom to decide how to use them. However, we should be careful not to make vows impulsively. Sometimes, in a moment of emotion, people make promises they cannot keep. Some churches even turn such vows into snares, stirring emotions with loud music and pressure during gatherings. As a result, some people give away all their wealth to their churches while leaving their own families uncared for. Would God truly be pleased with such offerings?

If you have made a vow without understanding the consequences and later regret it, pray to God for forgiveness. God has plans for each person, and the vow you made may not be in line with His plan. God is merciful and will forgive you. And if there is a penalty to bear, you can accept it as a lesson and grow from it.

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the proceeds for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” (Acts 5:1-4)

The death of Ananias and Sapphira shows that there were Christians who did not truly know God. If they had genuine faith, they would have confessed their sin and asked for forgiveness. They were given an opportunity, but they rejected it. They trusted only in what they could see—the miracles of the apostles and their reputation. They did not truly believe that God existed and that He knew everything they did. This is the fate of false Christians.

Concerning vows to God, it is better not to make them. God knows our sinful nature and the cunning of our hearts. We can quickly change our minds when it benefits us.

Having been born into a family that followed the Roman Catholic Church, I have probably made many vows since my youth—some of which I no longer even remember. I have also made vows to God that I do not think I have kept. If a vow truly needs to be fulfilled, God will remind me of it and give me both the heart and the opportunity to carry it out. The most important thing is agape, sacrificial love. Life is a continual process of learning. God corrects my mistakes, rebukes me, and guides me onto the right path.

The law is not meant to enslave us but to teach us about God’s sacrificial love. We do not exist for visible churches; rather, we belong to the invisible church. If you have made a vow and feel that you must fulfill it, pray to God. He will either give you the ability and opportunity to fulfill it with willingness and joy or set you free from it. Still, it is wiser not to make vows in the first place, because of our limited understanding and our sinful nature.

Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin. (Matthew 5:33-37)