Giving
Giving can be one of the most fulfilling parts of the Christian life. Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to be generous. In fact, there are more verses related to giving than any other subject dealing with money.
l. It is important to give with the proper attitude.God evaluates our giving based on our attitude. Jesus said in Matthew 23:23: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. " The Pharisees had been careful to give the correct amount - down to the last mint leaf in their gardens. However, because they did not give with the proper attitude, the Lord rebuked them.
Give because you love. For giving to be of any value to the giver, it must be done out of love. "If 1 give all l possess to the poor... but have not love, I gain nothing " (1 Corinthians 13:3). God the Father set the example of giving in love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son " (John 3:16). Because God loved, He gave.
The best way to give in love is to give each gift as if you are giving it directly to Jesus Christ. When you give to the Lord, it can be an act of loving worship because God is our Savior and faithful provider.
Give cheerfully. "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The word translated "reluctantly" means sorrow or grief. The word translated "cheerful" means joyful and happy. We are not to give reluctantly; rather, we should give because we are joyful for the opportunity to help others.
2. Give to God first. Part of our responsibility as a faithful steward is to give back to God a portion of what He has entrusted to us. "Honor the Lord from your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops" (Proverbs 3:9).
God doesn't need our money, but we need to give. Giving to the Lord is a reminder that God owns all we possess and that He is our Provider. It is also an indicator of our obedience to God's principles.
3. Amount to give A tithe, or ten percent of our income, is the foundation of our giving. "Yet you rob me ...in tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me" (Malachi 3:8-9).
In addition to the tithe, God's people in the Old Testament gave offerings. The New Testament builds on the foundation of tithes and offerings, teaching us to give in proportion to what we receive.
Jesus praised sacrificial giving. "A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny ...Jesus said, `I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put 1 n everything-all she had to live on "' (Mark 12:42-44).
We are convinced that a tithe is the minimum amount we should give to the Lord, desiring then to give more than the tithe as the Lord prospers or directs us.
4. Blessings of giving The Lord intends for giving to be a blessing to the giver. "Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive "' (Acts 20:35). If a gift is given with a proper attitude, the giver benefits in four ways.
(1) Giving draws our hearts toward Christ. Above all else, giving directs our heart to Christ. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). This is why it is necessary to give each gift to Jesus Christ. When you give your gift to Him, your heart will automatically be drawn to the Lord.
(2) Giving develops godly character and helps us conform to Christ. Our heavenly Father wants His children to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The character of Christ is that of an unselfish giver. Unfortunately, humans are naturally selfish. One of the ways we become conformed to Christ is by giving.
(3) Giving allows us to put treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:20 reads, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). The Lord wants us to know that we can invest for eternity. Paul wrote, "Not that 1 am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account" (Philippians 4:17). When we give, there is an account for each of us in heaven, an account we will enjoy for eternity.
(4) Giving can produce a material increase to the giver. "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:24-25).
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously...God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, You will abound in every good work. As it is written: `He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. 'Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion" (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).
These verses teach that giving results in a material increase: "will also reap generously... in all things at all times... having all that you need... you will abound... will supply and increase your store of seed ...enlarge the harvest ...you will be made rich in every way. " But note why the Lord is returning an increase: "so that you can be generous on every occasion. " The Lord provides a material increase so that we may give more and have our needs met at the same time.
5. To whom should we give? Scripture encourages us to give to the work of Christ and to the needy.
Give to the local church, Christian workers and ministries. The Bible tells us to give to the church and those serving in ministry. "Pastors who do their work well .should be paid well and should be highly appreciated, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17, TLB). "The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:14).
In our opinion, a minimum of ten percent of our income should be given to our church. But we also believe we should give to others who are teaching us God's Word. "Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor" (Galatians 6:6).
Give to the poor. Hundreds of verses deal with meeting the needs of the poor. In Matthew 25:34-45 we learn one of the most exciting truths in Scripture. "The King will say... 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink'... then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungrv, and feed You, or thirsty and give you something to drink?"... The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire... I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink ...whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. "' Jesus, the Savior of the world, identifies Himself with the poor. When we give to the poor, we are actually giving to Jesus.
[The text is from "Principles of Financial Success", a seminar presented by Crown Financial Ministries.]
