Authentic Christianity - GIVING!

Luke 6:38 records the words of Jesus as this, “Give, and it will be given to you; a full measure will be poured into your lap – pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”  What a promise!  What a thought for this culture.

It seems to me that the mantra of this culture is ‘get all you can, can all you get, and then sit on the lid!”  We are made to believe that the #1 thing in our life should be #1!  This society says, “It’s all about me.”  Years ago Pastor/Author Rick Warren began his best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life”, with these words, “It’s not about me.”  While this is a principle from God’s word, it is not a popular concept.

For the person who calls himself a “Christian” – a spirit of giving is required because Jesus taught and modeled this spirit.  The New Testament reports that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  The most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16, begins “For God love the world so much that He GAVE His one and only Son.”  Paul writes that “Jesus gave Himself as a RANSOM for all and gave Himself to REDEEM us all.”  To live like Christ and for Christ means (among other things) that you are open-hearted and give.

Paul writes to the Corinthians and reminds us that our giving is like a seed.  In 2 Corinthians 9 we read, “The person who sows sparingly will reap sparingly while the person who sows generously will reap generously.”  What we give and how we give determines, in large measure what we will receive.

Don’t be fooled by the unscrupulous.  This promise from God does not mean ‘if you give money to some ‘ministry’ that you’ll get rich.’  What it does mean is this “You can NEVER out-give God.”  Keep Him in the center of your life.

Here’s your question for the day: Do people who know you see you as a ‘giver’ or a ‘taker’.  Certainly money is one of those things you can give or take, but there is more in this life that you can give and/or take.   What do you do?  Jesus calls us to give.  It is a blessed thing.

Bro. Jerry Watts

(Checkout Pastor Jerry’s web site @ www.jerrywatts.net.