Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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 9:6-8
If I give so that I will be rewarded . . . God is Santa Claus.
If I give so that I claim an exemption on my tax form . . . God is a CPA.
If I give so I can impress my friends . . . God is my PR agent.
If I give to avoid punishment . . . God is a thief.
If I give so that I can express my love and so that others may hear the gospel . . . God is God.
-First Baptist Church
Seattle, WA
Why do you give your hard earned money to the work of the church?
How do you give? Like any of the ways described above?
What do you think is the most important thing Christians should know about giving?
Share your answers, a scripture, make a comment or ask a question.
Giving is one of my greatest joys. I credit my parents for instilling in my a joy for giving. I remember my mom teaching me the verse about how God loves a cheerful giver and that stuck with me for all of my life. It wasn't long after she taught me that lesson that I had an opportunity to live it.
ReplyDeleteOn my 6th birthday I told my mom that I wanted to give all my birthday money to a kid somewhere who didn't get birthday presents. I'm pretty sure we ended up sending the money to Compassion International and it was indeed used on someone less fortunate. I had no reservations about giving that money away and was giddy about the fact that God was pleased with my actions. If the action is pleasing to God and it brings Him glory, I would definitely say it is an act of worship. Giving is also a great way to get warm fuzzies. : )
What a great testimony Joel. Kim and I instilled this in our children as well. It would seem that of all the things we can teach our children at a young age, this should be near the top of the list. It is much easier to make giving a life style if it is started from a young age. Indeed, God loves a cheerful giver!
ReplyDelete"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25 NIV).
ReplyDeleteHow timely this verse was in my devotional today! The devotional was about healthy in body, mind and spirit.
I think the turning point for me was when I realized that everything I have and am, comes from God and I am simply a steward of what I have.
My favorite way to give is totally that last sentence - "If I give so that I can express my love and so that others may hear the gospel . . . God is God." I chose to sponsor a child - it's great because I know exactly how my money is being used and it's directly influencing someone's life. On top of that, I can create a relationship with her where I can share Christ directly on top of the Christian education my money provides her with. I encourage everyoneeee to prayerfully consider doing the same - http://www.compassion.com/ ... it's only about a dollar a day - skip the fast food once a week and you can provide food, clothing, and education to a child in need :) gives my work meaning.
ReplyDelete--Gretchen
(Oh, I just saw Joel also mentioned Compassion ... there are several other child sponsorship programs out there, in my research when I started, they seemed to have the best breakdown of where your money goes and great additional services ... not sure if anything's changed since then, but those were my findings...)
ReplyDeleteand thanks to my parents, too, for teaching me about giving very early :)