Committing to Christ through 2008 and Beyond

 

GIVING

 

Scripture reading:  Mathew 13: 45-46

 

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

 

The kingdom of God is more precious and valuable than anything we could ever hope to possess. As Christians, we must be willing to give up everything in order to obtain it. The merchant was earnestly searching for the pearl of great value and, when he found it, he surrendered everything he had to procure it.

 

Everything we have comes from God. Notice I didn’t say everything we own, because we don’t own anything. Everything belongs to God. He created everything. He owns everything. We are merely trustees over things here on this earth. The things we enjoy in this life are gifts from God. God is a loving, generous father. We are to be his loving, generous children. God holds us accountable for how we manage the money and possessions entrusted to us. Someday we will be judged “faithful or foolish” as trustees.

 

We are all subject to an ongoing struggle between the pull of this world we live in and the mind and heart of God. We alone will determine whether we will be found foolish by yielding to the pull of a worldly culture, or found faithful by yielding to the pull of the mind and heart of God. God gives us the freedom to choose. Are we making the right choices?

 

When it comes to giving, there are three myths put forth by a worldly culture:

     

          Give if it benefits you

          Give if there is anything left over

          Give out of a sense of duty

 

But the mind and heart of God calls us to be generous givers. The generous giver is one who gives with an obedient will, a joyful attitude, and a compassionate heart.

 

We are made to give. We were created to be channels, not reservoirs. As channels, all of God’s gifts flow through us to others. As reservoirs, we claim God’s gifts as our own and try to store up treasures here on earth. God tells us in the scriptures to store our treasures in heaven, not on earth.

 

God wants us to give for a number of reasons. He wants us to give:

          As a response to His goodness

          To focus on Him as our source of security

          To help achieve economic justice in the world

          To bless others and to be blessed in the process

          To break the hold of money on our lives which tends to separate us from God

 

The scriptures tell us that God already knows all of our needs and he will give us all we need from day to day if we live for him and make the kingdom of God our primary concern.

 

Friends, we can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving. God has created us with giving as a part of our nature. God wants us to be generous givers. My hope is that we would all prayerfully consider these thoughts as we prepare our tithes and offerings each week.