Hello Steemians, happy Sunday to you all.
Today, a lot of Christians wonder why and how some other Christians are more successful and live in super abundance while they remain the same way they've been since they met Christ. Well, here is a good news for you if you're in such category because I will be sharing with us the sure PATH to SUPER ABUNDANCE.
Source!
Before I tell what Christian giving is, I will like to state clearly that this post is not to discourage hard-work because our God has also promised to bless the works of our hands hence we are not stay idle and just give out our possession without work with our hands. It is rather to increase our level of giving in order to provoke God's love as He said in 2 Corinthians 9:7b "For God loveth a cheerful giver" and to get us to a level of super abundance.
Christian giving is the act of releasing our resources, either cash or in kind to God, the gospel work and to His children, all from a sincere and willing heart. (2 Corinthians 8:12 says "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." Giving should be done according to one's ability or determination, without grumbling, murmuring or regretting the act but with a cheerful and a happy disposition (2 Corinthians 9:7 says Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.)
One important requisite on Christian giving is that it should be done by those who have genuinely and sincerely given their lives to Christ and are daily living according to His word (2 Corinthians 8:5 says And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God). No matter what and how much the sinner gives 'unto God', such giving is not acceptable; it is merely "...a sacrifice of fools"(Ecclesiastes 5:11). We could see clearly the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ to all His disciples and followers on the need for them to cultivate the habit of giving. Like every other instruction from our Saviour demands, the instruction to give must be obeyed. Disobedience to God's word brings punishment and His displeasure.
We should note also that the Christian act giving includes the payment of tithes, giving of offering, contributing to the spread of the gospel, giving to help the less privileged, the poor and the needy in our society. We must understand that giving to God's Kingdom and His children must be our priority (Galatians 6:10 says "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."; Proverbs 28:27a says " He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack:")
Giving provokes the love of God: "For God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7b). God is happy and joyful with all His children who give willfully and cheerfully. It then means that those who give and do not do it cheerfully or those who do not give at all earn a frown from God. As believers, we must remember that giving is a legacy set by God Himself because he first gave unto us His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
One major way by which we can prove our true love for God is by giving to Him. He is the source of all that we have: "The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1). Giving to God does not only involve money or material things but also includes, firstly, the giving and surrender of our heart; then, we can give our time, talents, treasures, and all that we have. Once again, every act of giving done by a true Christian should be done cheerfully as unto the Lord and not unto men or the individuals at the receiving end.
How do I get super abundant blessings from God?
Christian giving is truly the key to receiving super abundant blessings from God: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35b). Also,"The liberal (giving) soul shall be made fat and he that watereth (gives) shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:25). Again, "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that witholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty" (Proverbs 11:24).
It is a common saying that 'givers never lack'. It is one of the laws of nature that you would reap what you sow. Therefore, the Christian who cultivates the habit of giving cheerfully and happily will be greatly blessed by God. What a great privilege to give to God in order to receive manifold blessings!
