The bible is never foolish when it says, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). The man who give command more respect from both God and man than the man who receive. The man who give is sowing while the man who receive is eating.
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Ten Reasons To Give in the Church
The old testament has more commands about financial giving in terms of when, who to give and how much – than the new testament. The reason may not be far-fetched - God gave his only begotten because of his love for mankind showing us an example of what giving should be like, and that our giving should follow fairly logically and easily ,,John 3:16; Deuteronomy 15:10; 16:17.
2. The Lord Jesus expects and command us to give.
Like the father, our Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give" not "if you give" (Mathew 6:2)! This simply means that, Christian giving is not optional, but rather a command for a successful living. You often hear people say: "in the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." Funny right! They are getting it all wrong and is costing them something. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give.
3. Giving leads to Humility
Until a man is humble he cannot enjoy God blessing in his life. Research has revealed that biggest deterrent to giving is fear, the fear that if I give away too much I won’t have enough for this or that - and this makes us to look as if we are telling God he can't provide for us.
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 - trusting God is humility. This is not an argument for folly, but for faith.
Until you discovered the joy of casting your crumbs of bread upon the waters for multiple loaves to returns after many days you will find it difficult giving (Ecclesiastes 11:1). It’s such a joy to see God fulfill His promise of provision when we obey Him.
4. Giving is a proof of faith and love
It takes a man who trust God to act based on his commandment. God said we should give and it shall be given unto us - you must trust him to obey that singular commandment. Man will want to find out how - the mechanism behind giving. Someone can be imagining how will I throw away my money and in few days I will have it. It sound crazy! really! But God knows better than we do.
Can you imagine this passage of the bible - Proverbs 11:24-25 – "There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered."
5. Giving illustrates God’s Sacrificial Love
God who is love himself illustrate what love is - love is sacrificial self-giving (John 3:16). That’s why when the Apostle Paul wanted to encourage the Corinthians to give more, he pointed them to the person and work of Christ.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2Conrinthians 2:9). Yes, you abound in faith, love, etc., but “see that you abound in this grace also.” When we give sacrificially, painfully, for the benefit of others, we demonstrate God kind of love.
6. Giving advances God’s kingdom
Many of us have contributed to the growth and advancement of many organization through our sacrificial giving and all that . We have helped to grow the company from a garage operation to the worldwide empire. But think of what blessing results when we fund the mission of Christ’s church.
We are paying salaries of ministers and missionaries. We are funding resources for outreach, evangelism, and discipleship. But above all we are investing in the spiritual and eternal welfare of people from every nation, tribe, kindred and tongue. Giving to church advancement is another way to preach the gospel across border.
7. Giving is Honoring God
Every act of obedience recognizes that there is a higher authority in our lives, that there is a Lord over us who is entitled to honor and respect. Due to our temperament, personality, or circumstances, we may find some commands relatively easy to obey.
Our submission is really tested in the areas where our own nature and situation make obedience more difficult. For most of us, money is one of those areas. Our wallet is often the last citadel to fall to God’s rule, and even when it does fall, it gets rebuilt and re-secured again all too quickly. If only we could remember that Divine Lordship is not a threat; rather it’s the place of greatest safety.
8. Giving Pleases God’s
The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2Conrinthians 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 (2Conrinthians 8:1). There’s nothing that makes a Christian happier than knowing that she’s made God happy, and happy giving means a happy God.
9. Giving promotes God’s sanctification
Giving not only promotes God’s work through us, but also God’s work in us, and our sanctification. Giving sacrificially, requires much self-denial and self-crucifixion. However, as every act of giving weakens and even breaks our sinful and selfish nature, the more God’s grace spreads in our hearts. Yes, money leaves our pockets, but sin also leaves our heart. And that’s a great deal.
10. Giving testifies to God’s power
Although we are not to let our left hand know what our right hand does, it’s pretty obvious that Christians give a lot to their churches and Christian charities. Even secular observers have noticed with amazement how generous Christians often are with their money.
They may not say it but they surely must think it: “This must be the real deal for people to give away so much of their own money. They must really believe this stuff. The God they worship and serve must be incredibly powerful to make people so generous.”
In all giving help us to fully realize our potential in God. Financial giving is the only thing that answers to financial prosperity. Salvation is a free gift out of God own sacrificial giving but we live in financial abundance through our own financial giving.
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