September 3rd Follow-up

Sunday Follow-up
2 Corinthians 8 – “A biblical view of giving”

When it comes to giving to the Lord financially, believers generally fall into one of several camps.

One camp is comprised of those who see giving as a duty. They give because that is what Christians do. They give their ten percent because Christians are called to tithe.

A second camp is comprised of those who are indifferent. They understand that giving is not obligatory. They see giving as something nice to do, but not a big deal if they don’t.

A third camp is comprised of those who don’t give. It may be the result of seeing abuses among some ministries in the body of Christ. It may be because things are financially tight and they believe they can’t afford to give. They might view giving as something they will do when and if their financial status changes in the future.

A fourth camp is comprised of those who give willingly and joyfully. They recognize that whether they have little or a lot, they have it because of Jesus. They give because they want to have a part in the work that God is doing. They give out of love for God and others. They give trusting that God will keep His promise to supply all their needs. They give because they believe they are stewards of what God has entrusted to them. They give because they get to, not because they have to.

So, what camp do you fall in? Biblical giving is not about how much you have to give. It’s about how much are you willing to give. A willing heart doesn’t put limits on what they give. If what you give is given from a place of thankfulness and trust, then it is acceptable to the Lord.

Some may ask, if giving is not obligatory then why should I give? My response is, why wouldn’t we? If God has blessed us with what we have then is it too much to give something back as a way of saying thank you Jesus for what you have done for me and what you have given me?

I am reminded of what we are told in Malachi 3:10 – “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty,” and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

If you are currently not giving to your church and/or other ministries, then I would challenge you today to make that change and then watch what God does, assuming that your giving is from a pure heart.