Got Change?Sample

GENEROUS GIVERS

The general norm of the world today is, "grab all that you can and hold it all for yourself". But the kingdom principle is, "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (Prov. 11:24). Give freely like God gives, no strings attached. When God called Abraham, He not only promised to bless him, but also made him a blessing to the nations. God always gives us so that we, in turn, would give back, be it money, time, love or material things.

When we hold fast to something for ourselves, we lose its purpose and intent. But when we give for the glory of God, we find meaning and purpose in it. Our money or time would do better by blessing someone than just centered on ourselves. Someone said, "Money is a discipleship issue." The fear of giving is clear. We are afraid we are losing something or missing out on something else. But Paul says that each time we give, we are not losing, but rather, we are sowing. He goes on to encourage the Corinthian church that he who sows generously will also reap generously. And most importantly, he makes it clear that we do not give in order to receive, but we give because we have a generous Father who richly provides for us so that we can give generously like Him.

Giving is not about our quantity but our gratefulness. In the Bible we read about a church thus - "And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2Cor 8:1-2)." This poor church gave richly out of their poverty. Many churches stand today because of the generous giving of someone else. Now read that verse carefully. It was the grace of God that enabled them to give not out of duty but out of delight. Let us plead for God's grace today, to become such generous givers in everything that God gave us.

The CHALLENGE to Change:

Make an effort to give beyond your tithe and offering. Set aside money on a regular basis so you always have enough to give. Be intentional, sacrificial, regular, generous and cheerful in your giving. Set aside to give toward 1. The needs of the gathering 2. The elders in the Church who work among you 3. Progress of the Gospel 4. Needs of the family of families especially the poor, needy, widows and orphans and 5. Towards needs of the locality you dwell in (society).