Offering a Sacrifice That Costs

If someone wants to offer a burnt offering, they must bring a male animal from the herd or flock - without blemish. The sacrificial system begins with this requirement: what you offer must matter to you.

In our culture, giving has become mostly painless - tax deductible giving, surplus donations. But the burnt offering presumes loss. You're giving an animal you could have used, eaten, sold. The cost is real.

I started thinking about my tithes differently after studying this. Am I giving from abundance that doesn't touch my actual life? Or am I giving in a way that requires sacrifice, that means less for my family's comfort? The text suggests the latter creates something spiritually significant.