"Time, Temple, Talent, and Treasure" — I remember the first time I heard this phrase and the accompanying term, "systematic benevolence." I thought, "Yeah, the church has invented a new way to get money out of me." But the Lord is such a great and patient Teacher that He did not leave me in the dark for very long. I was to learn that the contributor to the Lord's house, whether it be his time in service, his body-temple preservation, his gifts of talent, or his treasure through tithe and offerings, always receives more than he gives. It is still true that "you just can't beat God giving."

And so it is a privilege to give to the Lord, and watch how He multiplies our meager offerings. If we give of our time, and by that I mean committing ourselves to service beyond the sacred hours of the Sabbath, we reap rich rewards.

Well-known talk show hostess, Oprah Winfrey, calls it R.A.K. (Random Acts of Kindness). This is service rendered to others, with no thought of receiving anything in return. Now that's a Christian principle if I ever heard one.

Then there is the temple. Our own bodies are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, a place wherein God loves to dwell. In making our body-temples a comfortable place for the indwelling Spirit by temperance, abstinence, and healthy diet, we will also be better prepared to meet and minister to others. Body-temple stewardship will also make us more loving and easier to relate to family and friends.

When it comes to talent, the biblical parable of the talents says it all. In the common vernacular of today we would say, "Use it or lose it." Good stewardship of our talents allows God to bestow more on us because we will have been proven trustworthy.

As a young boy, I remember a lady who had a marvelous talent as a pianist. But the church members and officers always had to beg her to play in church. A few years after she moved to another city she returned to visit. She was asked to play. She sadly confessed, "I can no longer play the piano. I refused so many times to use my talent for the Lord that He took it from me." What a pity! God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and He has a right to require those talents back in useful service.

And finally, there is treasure. All right, I confess, tithing does not work out on a calculator or a computer. The only way you can have more by giving away more is in God's system. In His system we actually "add by subtracting, and multiply by dividing." If you haven't already, try it, you'll like it!