21 Days of StretchSample

Two-Way Stretch

Giving is an area which has become so sensitive in the Body of Christ, that preachers and teachers steer away from it.

Ironically, talking about receiving blessings and all the things God can do for you as Jehovah Jireh is always trending. Yet giving is a big part of our Christian faith. God gave His only son so that those on the receiving end might get something. God sowed a seed, He sowed His only Son, so that we might have eternal life (if we decide to believe). God gives to us every single day; He provides our daily bread and when we go knocking, He opens the doors to us. We expect God to give but we don’t like giving to God in exchange. We expect God to stretch into His storeroom of the miraculous and give to us every time we ask, but we fail to give to Him consistently.

Giving financially is a faith step, showing God that we can give back to Him because we are only stewards of our finances. Its’ a two-way stretch.

We need to go beyond the attitude of just receiving from God and the church and start to invest and sow into the church. An example I want to use is Hannah. Hannah was a barren woman but yearned to give her husband children. One day, she decided to pray and made a promise to God that if he gave her a son – just one son – she would give him back. She knew her desires would only be fulfilled by God. Yet she was audacious enough in her faith to give her only, even if it meant she wouldn’t have anymore. She stretched her faith to the point that she was willing to sacrifice all that God would give her, because she understood that God could do anything and provide everything.

This year we need to go beyond giving our change and give to God our all. As Hannah made a commitment to God, so should we. God is worthy of it. If you don’t tithe, stretch yourself this year and commit to giving 10 percent, and watch what God does with your 90%. If you don’t even give an offering, commit to giving every week and see how God transforms you into a generous person who can bless others.

Hannah gave her only son, after years of longing for that one child. In return God blessed her with 3 sons and 2 additional daughters. She understood that she needed to stretch herself in giving to God. Now it's your turn. Don’t just reach out to receive from God, stretch yourself and give back to God in this year.