Giving or Receiving?

A recent survey asked Americans what they would do for $10 million dollars.  Some said they would abandon all their friends.  Some alleged they would murder a stranger or withhold evidence so a murderer could go free.  Many responded they would give up their citizenship, and a few reported they would even have a sex-change operation.

You can almost feel the greed of these people who answered the survey’s questions.  If they were willing to do all these things to get some money, you know they would not be very generous with it.  Someone said this, “While it is more blessed to give than receive, most are willing to let someone else get the blessing.”

II Corinthians 9:7 tells us, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”  The Bible tells the Christian to give joyfully and generously.

Generous giving is a genuine form of worship. King David said: “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?” Giving is an amazing way of showing our love to God and seeing how He uses us to impact others. When we give, our attitude transforms. 

It is true that you can’t take it anything with you when you die, but you can send it on ahead. Every time we give, we are investing in heavenly rewards that will last forever.

The Bible teaches that if you have material possessions and you see a brother or sister in need and have no pity, how can the love of God be in you?  It is not hard to find people with greater needs than we have, so where is our heart directing us to give? Generous actions speak louder than words.

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