One of the benefits of being a Christian is the opportunity to give generously. The world doesn’t understand the significance of giving, but a willingness to give enables us to be a blessing to others. When we got saved, the Holy Spirit began developing in us the same characteristics as God; one of those characteristics is giving out of love and thanksgiving.

Giving demonstrates our trust in God, and it becomes a reflex action when we begin to understand the depth of His love toward us. According to Paul, the apostle of grace, we receive in proportion to what we’re willing to give. We can choose to give sparingly or generously; however little or much we give will come back to us. It should be done with a joyful heart, not out of a sense of duty.

This is a basic principle of being a believer; however, if we’re not careful, we can get lazy about our giving. It should be done intentionally and with deliberate planning. In this way, we can honor God when we gather together, giving as He has prospered us. To honor means to carry weight; honoring Him with the first fruits of our labor gives Him priority over everything in our lives.

Truly trusting God empowers us to give. This happened with the church at Macedonia, which gave joyfully despite being impoverished. The people were enabled to do this by grace, which allows the believer to do things that are impossible without supernatural assistance. The people had a choice to make, and they chose to have joy.    

God cares deeply about how we handle money. This was demonstrated when Jesus remarked on the trust the poor widow displayed when she gave all she had into the treasury. When we give God that kind of trust, He always honors it. What we give will always be given back unto us, pressed down, shaken together, and multiplied many times over. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us the wisdom to show our trust in You through our giving. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

1 Corinthians 16:2

Proverbs 3:9, 10

2 Corinthians 8:1-3, NLT

Mark 12:41-44

Luke 21:1-4

Luke 6:38