Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
Luke 6:38Luke 6:38
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
38 If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.
WP-Bible plugin, NLT
Our family gives financially to God’s Kingdom. We have made that a non-negotiable practice from the time we first began managing money together. And the amount we give is sacrificial. It is not given from the left-overs of our resources, but from the first-fruits. God says we are not to rob Him, and that we are to give Him the first-fruits of our labors, our income (Malachi 3:6-11Malachi 3:6-11
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 . Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That's why you haven't been wiped out,
7 even though you have ignored and disobeyed my laws ever since the time of your ancestors. But if you return to me, I will return to you.
And yet you ask, “How can we return?”
8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, “How are we robbing you?”
You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. i the ten percent ... to me: The people of Israel were supposed to give a tenth of their harvests and of their flocks and herds to the Lord .
9 That's why your whole nation is under a curse.
10 ; I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. j open the windows ... blessing: This may refer to rain, since there seems to have been a terrible drought at this time.
11 I will also stop locusts k locusts: A kind of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life. from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing.
WP-Bible plugin). I know this is a controversial subject and that many people would just as soon avoid it, but did you know God talked about money more than just about any other topic in the Bible? Do you know why? Because what we do with the money we’re given (notice I didn’t say “our money”) is a barometer of our heart. Jesus knew that, and if you want to get a clear indicator of what’s important to a person, just track where they’re spending their money.
I know lots of people who are more adamant about the appropriate 18% tip we’re supposed to leave on the table for a waitress or waiter than they are giving a sacrificial portion of their resources to God. Interesting. But, once we’ve learned how to make giving a matter of loving worship and obedience, we’re also freed from trying to figure out how little we can give so we can focus on trying to give even more for the right reasons.
Nothing we have really belongs to us. All of it is a direct result of God’s unmerited favor and blessing on our lives, and He deserves the credit and gratitude for everything. We have certainly not earned it, regardless of how much time, energy, and thought we’ve put into amassing “stuff.” All of us, regardless of our position or paycheck, have fallen short of God’s standard for righteousness and holiness, so anything we’re given by Him is a gift, not an entitlement.
Why does our family give? It’s simple, actually. Because God first gave to us, and continues to give to us. He sacrificed for us, so how can we not do the same for Him? And our biggest sacrifice could never compare with His. He spared no expense to purchase our redemption. He sacrificed the blood of His one and only Son so that you and I may have eternal life. No matter how much we give to God, we will never and can never out-give Him.
So, does that mean we don’t stretch ourselves to give more because we know we can never out-give God anyway? Of course not. What it does mean is the more we give to God, the more evident our trust and faith in Him is, because we know that He will be faithful to always provide all we need, and the more He has the opportunity to prove His promise to bless us. As we give to God, it demonstrates our recognition of Him as the Source of all we have and our gratitude to Him. And God, in turn, gives back to us manifold blessings for our obedience. He gave, we give in grateful return, and He gives even more. It is a cycle of perpetual love and those who are obedient to God in this regard often find themselves blessed to the point of being able to give more and more. The Bible also clearly states that those who are faithful in little will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10Luke 16:10
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
10 Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters.
WP-Bible plugin)
I can speak from experience, you can never out-give God. He always provides, always supplies, and always blesses beyond our comprehension, often in ways we never saw coming. I urge you to take a careful look at your finances. Is God and His Kingdom a priority in your budget? Does your level of giving reflect an immense trust and dependence on Him? Be sure of this, you can never out-give God. He stands ever ready to bless your faith in Him and has promised to always supply all of your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
We give because we’re grateful. We give because we’re in love with Jesus. We give not because we have to, but because we want to in light of all God has given to us. How ’bout you?
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