Skip to main content

God’s Way of Giving

                 Especially at this time of the year, most people are aware of the fact that God loved us so much that he sent his Son (See John 3:16-17).  It is important to know that God is a giver and that he took the first step to bring us back home.  What most people do not realize, though, is how God gives. 
1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  How does God give?  He gives lavishly.  His giving is over the top and more than we could possibly imagine. 
                Luke 6:38 restates that idea when it says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  God goes not give a little bit.  He does not begrudgingly do the minimum.  Instead, God gives us his blessings in heaping measures which are so full that they spill over to those around us.  We are then encouraged make the same sort of offering to others with the full knowledge that we will never out give God’s provision.
                There are also other words that speak about the abundance of God.  Scripture tells us that we are to be “overflowing” with things like grace (Romans 5:15), hope (Romans 15:13), thanksgiving (2 Cor 4:15/9:12 and Colossians 2:7), joy (2 Corinthians 8:2) and love (1 Thessalonians 3:12).  Again, God has provided such an abundance of these gifts that we cannot keep them to ourselves. 
                  We do not need to convince God to love us.  We cannot earn his kindness.  We do not have to try to wrestle good things away from him as if he is vengeful and miserly toward us.  Rather, God gives lavishly, overflowingly, freely, graciously, joyfully and abundantly.   When I understand that, it changes the way I view God and how I see my own giving to others.  If I know that God is so generous to me, how can I be anything but generous to others?
                “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).  Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place.  “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move.  Start with yourself!  It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves.  Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better.  There is always more to do.  This, then, leaves very little time to point out...
Post a Comment
Read more