Topic: Giving is relative
Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 17-18; Luke 21:1-19.
Memory Verse: “For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Luke 21:4 (KJV).
Giving means presenting voluntarily and without expecting compensation. Several things can be given to others. It could be your time, money, talent, or other resources. God encourages giving particularly when it is done in love. God led the way by giving the Lord Jesus Christ to the world. The bible says in John 3:16 (KJV), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” So godly giving should be done out of love for the receiver and not out of contempt or compulsion.
The overriding motive for giving should stem from the fact that everything you have comes from God. And so giving to church or someone else is like giving back to the giver! If you have this motive, it will ease your giving. It’s also important that every giving should be done cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV) says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” God expects you to share what you have with Him or His creature joyfully. And when that is done, He will restore back to you multiples of what you gave ( Luke 6:38).
It’s important for you to recognise that God knows everything concerning you. How much you are worth and so He knows what you can afford to give though no other person may know. You can therefore deceive people around you concerning your resource capability but you cannot deceive God. It’s important to always keep this in mind whenever you are to give. Thus, Jesus saw a widow giving small amount compared with what others gave into the treasury and He said the widow gave far more than others in Luke 21:4 (KJV), “For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”
So when you are asked to give generously to any godly event, recognise it is relative to what God has given you!
Prayer point:
Father, please enable me to give generously to your work and creation in Jesus name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero