But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?  You have not lied to man but to God.” (ESV)

Imagine this: You ask for volunteers to help out with something. A couple of people come forward and, not only do what is needed, but also some extra stuff. You thank them in front of others and praise them for their initiative. Then, along comes Johnny. He sees the praise and accolades those other people get and thinks, “Hmmmm, maybe if I volunteer to do something, I too will be praised publicly.” So Johnny says, “Hey, what can I do to help?” You give him a job and off he goes. He comes back shortly after that proclaiming that, not only did he do what you asked, but he also did X, Y, and Z.  

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What you later discover is that not only did Johnny not complete the initial job, he also did NOT do X,Y, and Z. His public proclamation was a puffed-up claim that he didn’t even come close to fulfilling.  

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Now, what would your reaction be if, at the moment Johnny made his public announcement of all he did, he promptly dropped dead?!?

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Enter Ananias and Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5. On the surface, we have a man and his wife who sell their land and bring some of the money to the apostles to donate. That sounds pretty cool to me, but BAM, the man falls down dead. Three hours later his wife comes in, agrees that they gave the whole proceeds from the sale of their land to the church, and BAM, she falls down dead too.  

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What the what?!?

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Here’s where context is king and knowing the whole story makes a huge difference. Back up to chapter 4: We see at the end of it, people are selling their possessions and giving the proceeds to the apostles so that none of the believers goes without food, clothing, or shelter.  

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These gracious believers were very respected because of their generosity. And, based on what happens in chapter 5 and Peter’s words, we can assume that Ananias and Sapphira saw that and wanted the same prestige, honor, and respect, as well. Just like Johnny in the above scenario, Ananias and Sapphira wanted something for themselves. Their giving was motivated by a desire to get the same praise and respect others who gave received. The problem was, they also wanted to keep the money from the sale of their land.  

Reading this story, we may feel some discomfort. I mean, does this mean we all need to go sell all of our possessions and give them away to the poor? Not at all. In fact, Peter addresses this very thing in verse 4 when he says, “Didn’t [the land] belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?” Peter says – the land and the money were yours. You weren’t required to sell it and give us the money.  

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But why the immediate and harsh consequence for only giving a portion of the money to the apostles?

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Peter addresses this as well; he says that Satan filled Ananias’ heart, leading him to lie to the Holy Spirit. See, the sin was not against man. The apostles, as far as we know, never even asked Ananias and Sapphira to sell their land and give them the proceeds. But Ananias desired something more than to serve and give to God and his people – Ananias wanted fame, respect, and praise.  

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His motivation for giving was the problem. His heart was the problem. Like Johnny in our (very fictional) illustration, the reason for serving was not about God; it was about himself. And that’s where we will always get ourselves into trouble.  

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We lose our impact – whether in giving or in serving – when we make it about ourselves.  

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As we approach Impact Alaska on May 19, do you need to check your heart and motivation about why you are serving? Are you serving because God called you to serve, or are you doing it out of a selfish motivation? Ask God to search your heart and point out any shortcomings so that you can have the most impact when you go out and serve our community.

Oh Lord, search my heart. Show me where my motivations are misaligned and where I’m making things about me. I want to serve you. I want to serve your people. God, would you change any selfish motivation to one of selflessness? In the mighty name of Jesus ~ AMEN!