I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. - Acts 20:35 KJV
Giving is a divine concept that declares the real source of our needs and wants is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God is THE giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
As His image-bearers we are called to copy His giving, to be mini-pictures of His infinitely large heart. The larger our hearts (and the wider our hands), the larger the picture we paint of God’s character.
When we give, we are putting ourselves in a place of humility and offering that God shows favor upon. God is looking to bless those who obey Him and pursue the things of His kingdom on earth!
The biggest deterrent to giving is fear, the fear that if I give away too much I won’t have enough for this or that. When we give sacrificially, above and beyond what is comfortable and easy, we are expressing our faith and trust in God to provide for us and our family. This is not an argument for folly, but for faith.
The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 2:7). It delights Him to see His people gladly opening their hearts and hands to provide for the needs of His Church and indeed of all His creatures. Through Paul, God repeatedly commends and praises those who gave of their funds and of themselves to Gospel work (2 Corinthians 8:1). There’s nothing that makes a Christian happier than knowing that he’s made God happy, and happy giving means a happy God.
Giving in the right spirit is an act of worship. It is rendering Him a tribute of praise. It is saying. “You gave me everything and here is a small expression of my gratitude and praise for all your good gifts. It’s only a token, a sample of what I really feel, but you know the heart that lies behind it. As David sang: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?” (Psalms 116:12).
Do you now see how giving makes us more blessed than getting? We can get so much happiness when we see how God is glorified in our giving and when we see Him bless others through our giving.
