Tuesday August 23, 2011

Read Malachi 3:8-11

 

Giving

WHO Should Give

 

God is love (1 John 4:8), and He displays His love by giving. He gave us the best that He had (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10), and expects us to display our love for others by giving of our best. This is not an optional matter for Christians--the New Testament frequently stresses generous giving and hospitality. While some have the spiritual gift of giving (Romans 12:8), God expects all believers to participate in the privilege and responsibility of sharing their resources (Acts 20:35). This is the best demonstration of the reality of our love for God and our fellow man (2 Corinthians 8:8-9,24; 1 John 3:16-18; 4:21). Those who do not give, rob from God and cheat themselves (Malachi 3:8-11).

 

WHY Give?

The Bible mentions several benefits of giving:-

 

1. Giving glorifies God. It not only supplies the needs of others, but also causes the recipients to thank and glorify God (2 Corinthians 9:12-13).

 

2. Giving builds faith. Sacrificial giving creates a greater dependence on the Lord and leads to a more intimate relationship with Him. It is a step of action that puts Him first and acknowledges His ownership of all that we have.

 

3. Giving develops character. Serving the needs of others through sharing what has been given to us makes us less selfish and covetous. Our character becomes more Christlike when we become other-centred rather than self-centred (Philippians 2:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:18-19).

 

4. Giving results in God's blessings. "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. . . . you will be enriched in everything for all liberality" (2 Cor. 9:6,11; cf. Phil. 4:17-19). Those who share abundantly in the lives of others will harvest the blessings of the Lord. We cannot out-give God, because He promises that He will give back to us whatever we share with others. "The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:25; cf. Deuteronomy 15:10; Prov. 3:9-10). "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38; cf. Prov. 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; Malachi 3:10). "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

5. Giving is an eternal investment. While it is true that, "You can't take it with you," you can send it on ahead. Jesus exhorted us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth because they can be corrupted and stolen. Instead, He told us to build incorruptible and lasting treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). If we set our heart on earthly things, we may make short-range gains but sacrifice long-range rewards. It is only what we give away that we truly keep. Thus, there is an "eternal return" on the money we invest in the lives and ministries of others (Luke 12:32-34; 16:9; 1 Tim. 6:18-19).

 

Attitude is more important than amount. Here are four scriptural attitudes toward giving:-

 

1. Cheerful, not grudging. "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). Our attitude should not be one of obligation, but heartfelt desire and readiness (Exodus 25:2; 2 Corinthians 8:3-4, 11-12).

 

2. As unto the Lord, not men. Jesus told us that we have no reward when we give alms to be noticed and honoured by men (Matthew 6:1-4). We should not give because of what others will think, but because it honours the Lord.

 

3. Motivated by love. "And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor . . . but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). Biblical giving is a manifestation of the sincerity of our love for God and others (2 Cor. 8:8).

 

4. Unconditional. Contrary to some popular teaching, we should not give to get. Giving is clouded by greed and selfishness when it is done in order to become more materially prosperous. Faithfulness in giving leads to spiritual blessing, but it is not a guarantee of material blessing. Material prosperity is not a sign of godliness, and poverty is not a sign of a lack of faith (Phil. 4:12). All that we have comes from God and belongs to God (1 Corinthians 4:7; James 1:17), and He wants us to share whether we have much or little. Biblical giving should be sacrificial so that we will always trust God to provide for our needs (see Mark 12:41-44).

What is your current attitude towards giving to your local church?

 

Prayer:

> Continue to pray for the ministry of Teen Challenge. Pray that the Women’s Facility will be able to open towards the end of this year.  Ask God to keep His hand on all the men who have gone through the programme, that they will not find themselves slipping backwards into drugs/alcohol again.