THE GIFT OF GIVING

Romans 12:1-8 (Darby)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your intelligent service.
2 And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [your] mind, that ye may prove what [is] the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith.
4 For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office;
5 thus we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other.
6 But having different gifts, according to the grace which has been given to us, whether [it be] prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith;
7 or service, [let us occupy ourselves] in service; or he that teaches, in teaching;
8 or he that exhorts, in exhortation; he that gives, in simplicity; he that leads, with diligence; he that shews mercy, with cheerfulness.

According to the scripture in Acts 20:35, there is more blessing in giving than in receiving! Giving is a gift.
Do you have the spiritual gift of giving?
If you are a giver, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by giving of your material resources, far beyond the tithe, to further the work of God. You are the person who meets the financial needs of fellow Christians, friends, families and church members.
Giving should be done with a godly motive and not with the wrong motive of—giving to get (e.g., trying to intimidate God into returning the monetary gift). We are not encouraged to give up grocery money, bill money or essential reserves. Our motives for giving should always be to further the work of God and not to “show off,”.
There must be a distinction between the gift of giving and the grace of giving. First, realize that tithing and giving are the responsibilities of every Christian. The tithe is a tenth of all our income and increase. It is God’s and we must give it to Him swiftly. Luke 6:38 is for every Christian, not just those with the gift of Giving. That is the grace of giving—giving from a heart of love, allowing God to furnish the returns when we have given from a desire to help others and further His work.
Many Christians, in sheer desperation, will give all they have trying to bail themselves out of a jam, only to see their efforts fail. You can’t give yourself out of a financial jam, nor can you give your way to prosperity with that end as a motive. It’s like borrowing to get out of debt. Proverbs 19:17. Your giving must be an offering from a willing heart: a want to heart, as a divine gift offered to God in worship and a seed sown for a specific purpose of celebration of God’s grace and goodness. Exodus 25:1-3.
James 1:17 says everything we have comes from God, so really, it’s His to command and tells us how to give, who and what to give, even when to give. Do not close your eyes to a need, the need came your way purposely. Philippians 2:4, Hebrews 13:16.
Our giving shout is not grudgingly, or of necessity but necessity, for the love of God, and through pity to the poor. Giving should be done as in the spirit of duty, but only according to your ability, resources and willingness. 1 Corinthians 9:7.
God is the greatest giver. He gives us all things, and without Him, we are and have nothing. Our giving should therefore be a form of worship to God- worship which spans generations-Hebrews 7:4.
When we give, we express love for God and our neighbours –Mark 12:30-31.
The gift of giving is mostly the acknowledging that the Lord gives us seed to sow and bread to eat, 2 Corinthians 9:10, with the understanding that all we have come from Him and of His we are just giving back, 2 Chronicles 29:14.
We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice daily to the Lord when we give unreservedly to the kingdom agenda and meet the needs of those around us even above any material wealth. If you’re graced with the gift of giving, give!
Shalom

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