Giving is always associated with love.
We can give without loving but we cannot love without giving. When two people
fall in love, one the compelling characteristic in the relationship is giving. For
God so loved the world that He gave… We too are most like God when we give.
When we give of our time, talent and
treasure, we’re not just saying but showing our love for God. In my opinion,
giving is very selfish because it benefits the giver the most. God gave His
best to demonstrate His love for us. When
we open our hearts and hands to help others, God Himself will make sure that we
have everything we need.
One
of the most important things we can give to God is our worship.
No matter what we’re going through when we chose to worship God, we have a
direct line to God’s Throne of Grace. Sure God loves everybody and there’s no
partiality in Him. But when we stand up in praise and worship to God, we’re
standing out among the masses. Giving always causes you to be noticed. Today
and every day of your life, set aside a little time to thank, praise and
worship God for the things He has already done in your life. When we worship
God, we create an environment for miracles to happen.
Another
way we can give is by volunteering our time and talent.
When we offer our services in the church, ministries and other ways to serve
people, we’re piling up God’s favor. Our motive is not to get anything but it’s
a universal law. We cannot give without
getting back. Invest your time to teach a Sunday school class, work in the
parking lot, be a door greeter or design website – expect God’s blessing on
whatever you can give.
A
powerful way we can give is by extending our hospitality.
Opening up our homes is another way of bringing God’s Hand of blessing straight
to our doorsteps. The widow in the Bible had plenty of supply when she decided
to take care of God’s servant Elijah. Jesus was a regular at Mary and Martha’s
house. They were hospitable to Jesus’ tired body, mind, spirit and soul.
My friends Ravi and Leona were
ordinary couple living in the high Himalayas. Ravi worked as a tour guide and Leona
was a stay at home mom. They didn’t have a great ministry or a huge name for
themselves. However, they’re both very hospitable. When I lived in Nepal, after
church they’d often invite us to their home and feed us delicious food. Leona’s
house was a place of refuge, rest and relaxation – not only for me and my
brothers but for many others. Fast forward twenty five years, today Ravi and
Leona are serving God with their lives. Their children are excelling in
collages of their choice around the world. Ravi and Leona have plenty for
themselves. I believe part of their good fortune is because of their
willingness to be hospitable. Today their home is still buzzing with people of
all nations. When we extend our
hospitality to friends and neighbors, we invite God’s blessing on our family
and home.
An obvious way we can give is by sharing
our treasures. When we sow financial seed
into God’s work, we’re setting ourselves up to get God’s attention. There’s
a man in the Bible by the name of Cornelius, who wasn’t even a Christian. His
prayers and giving stood up to God as memorials – imagine a tall skyscraper! Most
of the people I minister to in Asia have very little possession, yet they bring
bags of rice, vegetables, cash, jewelries, chickens and goats from the increase
God gives them. Jesus talked about the widow’s two mites. It tells me two
things. God is watching our giving. And the size of our heart is more important
than the size of our gift. The widow’s gift was small but it had a big impact!
Two thousand years later, we’re still talking about her sacrificial giving! Giving is not about the size of the gift but
the size of our heart.
Today, I challenge you to be a
generous person. Give of your time, talent and treasure. Don’t just be generous
to the world; give your best to your spouse, children and family. They deserve
our best not just our leftovers. When we
give back to God, like a magnet we’ll
draw in God’s favor and increase in our lives.
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you
in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and
poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get
back" (Luke 6:38 NLT).
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