Romans 8:1-8 CSB
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
[2] because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
[3] For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,
[4] in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
[5] For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.
[6] Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.
[7] The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.
[8] Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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 of Giving, the capacity and desire to serve God by giving off your material resources, far beyond the tithe, to further the work of God and the person who meets the financial needs of fellow Christians, friends, families and church members.
Giving should be with a godly motive and not with the wrong motive of giving to get (e.g., trying to intimidate God into returning your monetary gift with more). 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 to 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 your way 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.
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 according to Exodus 25:1-3.
James 1:17 says everything we have comes from God, it’s His to command, what, who, how and even when to give. Don’t close your eyes to a need, the need came your way purposely according to Philippians 2:4 and Hebrews 13:16.
Our giving shouldn’t be grudgingly but a necessity, for the love of God, and through pity to the poor. Giving should be done in the spirit of duty, but only according to your ability, resources and willingness say 1 Corinthians 9:7.
God is the greatest giver. He gives us all things, and without Him, we are and have nothing. Our giving is a form of worship to God, even through generations, see Hebrews 7:4.
When we give, we express our love for God and neighbours says Mark 12:30-31.
The gift of giving is mostly the acknowledging that the Lord gives us seed to sow and bread to eat in 2 Corinthians 9:10, with the understanding that all we have come from that we are just giving back to Him says 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
