Scriptures: Acts 9 : 36 – 42, Leviticus 15 : 7-11, Luke 6:38
Giving is an act of faith and we should NOT limit it to only those we think have the gift of giving but rather we should all give, for we are all believers. Because in 2nd Corinthians 8, scripture tells us to excel in the grace of giving, hence, we all have to be givers because God is a giver and if we are God’s children, he expects us to be like him in our giving. Jesus says in Matthew 20 to 21 to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal, for where our treasure is there our heart will also be. So basically, what Christ is saying here is that, what we value are the things that we put our heart to, so let’s all be people who give cheerfully, and from our hearts and not just pocket change, not just anything, but we’ll give to the glory of God.
This is what James 2:14-17 tells us, “what does it profit my brethren if someone says he has faith but does not have works? can faith save him? if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them depart in peace be warmed and filled but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body what does it profit? that’s also faith by itself, if it does not have works, it’s dead” This being said, we can claim to have faith, but if we do not demonstrate the faith in our actions, our faith is dead. And so if we believe in Jesus Christ, he wants us to give to others.
Jesus also gave a parable in Matthew 25 : 31-44 about the sheep and the goats, where he thought us that when we feed the hungry, when we give water to the thirsty, when we are hospitable, when we clothe the naked, when we visit those who are in jail, we are doing it for the Lord, and the people who do such things, he considered them to be sheep, and then the goats are those who do the opposite. May we be the sheep, the goats will not inherit the Kingdom of God, it’s only the sheep that would inherit the Kingdom of God. Let’s note that, Jesus himself is a shepherd and he takes care of sheep not goats.
Let’s take the example of Cornelius also. In Acts 10, the Bible says he’s given, and his prayers became a memorial before God. May our giving to God’s work and to support other people be a memorial before God.
Let’s also note that it is biblical (1st timothy 5:17-20) to appreciate our ministers, to appreciate our elders, l to appreciate our ministry leaders and even the choir and the instrumentalists. It’s not only about just giving them something, but even what we say to them can encourage them to do the work of God more and more.
Ways that we can give:
- We can give off our time.
- We can give off our talent.
- We can give off our knowledge.
- Whatever we are able to do, let’s do it to the glory of God.
- We can give our money to support individuals, support families and to support charities, and that is also biblical. May we be known for excellent in giving to support others.
May we also apply these scriptures (Proverb 3; 27-28, Hebrews 13 :2, Proverb 11: 24-25), to our giving act. For God has a way of blessing his people and he who waters will also be watered, and as the church is talking about “repositioning the local church for maximum impact to possess the nations” let us be like the early church in the book of Acts, as they shared whatever they had and because of that there was no needy one among them.
May the good Lord bless us all !!!