Bible Thought - WOW Word - Giving

Giving!

Every person has in differing quantities time, possessions and money. These things in and of themselves are not evil. The whole Christian community is one that is to reflect the Holy Trinity. The Church is to be a community where the strongest members support the weakest members. This applies not only to the local church, but also to the universal Church and therefore has a national and international context as well. Too often, even as Christian Disciples we are found turning a blind eye to the suffering of others where the bare necessities of life are in sparse existence. Too often we gather possessions and people, instead of giving up our time and money generously to help the poor and needy of both our world and local communities.

Financial giving is important and necessary - its a sign of your commitment to Jesus Christ.. Paul writing to the Corinthians commands that giving be done whole-heartedly and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). For the Christian Disciple, it is not so much how much is given, but how much is left after giving. God looks beyond the amount that is given to the motive behind the giving.

All our money and possessions belong to God anyway, so giving is to be in response to this. Giving is to be done out of love for God. Paul offers a three-point system for giving: regularly, methodically and proportionately (1 Corinthians 16:2). Failure to give back to God's work what He has given the Christian Disciple in the first place, robs God (Malachi 3:8).

The reason it robs is because the giving cannot be used to support those who are working for God. As a result of giving, the Christian Disciple will be blessed (Malachi 3:10) and have their needs satisfied (Philippians 4:19). Remember in the Old Testament, Widows were important to God, because justice is important to God. God is a God of justice and mercy. In the Old Testament, under the Law of Moses, God commanded provision for those who were widows, oppressed or uncared for.

The Apostles would have known about God caring for the widows and in Jesus teaching about justice for the poor and the oppressed. We know this because if you remember from Acts 2 and 4, people were selling and sharing possessions and ensuring that people within the Christian community were being looked after and cared for. This included making sure that everyone got fed, particularly those who had no family to care for them. And its not just for those in the church - but all in the community where you live. The New Testament church made sure that giving was done and that the poor, the oppressed, the lonely and the widows were taken care of. People working fulltime for the Lord were given recompense by others for their efforts.   People gave.

Paul places giving as a spiritual gift (Romans 12:6-8). I wonder how many people have asked for that gift? Perhaps its the least asked for gift, after all its not one of the supposedly spectacular ones! How is your giving? How does your church give and care for those in need, in your community? The get out clause as it were these days, is that it would not be good stewardship to give to that person or that cause. After all, they say, “Didnt Jesus say Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you!'" (Matthew 7:6). Of course when they say that they are totally missing both the point and context of what Jesus actually meant. God gave everything so that you and I may life and life in abundance. So by giving, you are reflecting that. This very day, start giving generously, just as God gave and gives generously, and gave His Son as a ransom for sin.

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