The kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom. Jesus said that in order for a person to save her life, she must lose it for His sake (Mark 8:35). The greatest of all in the kingdom of God is the one who serves. The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
Christian living is truly countercultural, especially when it comes to the concept of generosity. While the world advises us to hoard, take, and amass more and more for ourselves, the Bible tells us that a healthy and vibrant soul is a giving soul. In our generosity, we reflect the image of the lovingkindness of our God, who spared nothing, not even His beloved Son, in order to rescue us from eternal separation from Him. Generosity is a form of reconciliation that declares the glory of God, and its beauty lies in its joy. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7); not an obligated, reluctant, or stingy giver.
The New Testament verifies the words of Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed,” through the example of Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts. The first two verses in Acts 5 tell the tale: “A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” The Lord didn’t have a problem with Ananias’ donation; He had a serious problem with Ananias’ deceit in pretending that he had given more sacrificially than he actually had. Godly generosity, the kind that boosts your soul health, does not have to do with a specific quantity of cash or goods, but your wholehearted desire to give it away. A healthy soul gives because it helps someone else and glorifies God, not to show off or humble-brag for the praise of others. Our souls give gladly as a healthy response to wisdom. Godly wisdom understands that true treasure is found in relationship with God and others, which moth, rust, and robbers cannot take or destroy.
Generosity from a guileless soul not only glorifies God and helps others; it’s also kind of a dare. God says in both the Old and New Testaments that He promises to repay kindness and giving. Don’t you want to take Him at His word and see how He creatively and unexpectedly keeps His promises in response to your cheerful giving?
This question too goes back to trust…I have to trust that God will do what He promises when I am obedient to His call to give generously. Giving during difficult times puts feet to our faith. It’s doing something that in our natural minds seems unwise to do, but yet trusting that Father God will make up the difference.
Amen!
See if I do not open the storehouses of heaven and rain blessings on you… I believe this, if we give God our first fruits, time, service, money, see if he won’t open the gates and rain upon you…. what do you want and desire and need? I believe he starts there. If you crave closeness and relationship and you search for it, it will be provided. If you desire revelation of his word and understanding and you search for it. It will be provided. The co laboring experience is doing with dependent. It changes what you want. Life transformation. Ultimately I got there… God you are the desire of my heart….
That by giving wholeheartedly you will be richly rewarded and never found wanting