10 Reasons I Believe in Giving - Ps. Phil Pringle
Haggai 1:4-5: Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this
temple to lie in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your
ways!”
Ten Reasons I Believe in Giving.
The pursuit of our lives should not be to look after our own interests at the expense of
God’s house. The Bible assures us that such an attitude will cause what we bring home
to be blown away. God wants His house to be built to glorify His name on the earth: the
temple was to be built to bring pleasure to God. Haggai 1:6-9. As we join Him in
building His house we position ourselves to receive blessings from the Lord.
There is a two-fold promise of blessing God brings to us when encouraging us to be
givers. He wants to build His house on earth, the Church, and He wants to introduce us
to a changed way of life through a giving nature.
1. Jesus taught it. Acts 20:35 and Luke 6:38 – Jesus taught people to be givers,
to take what they receive and give it to others. He also taught that a part of
giving is to receive something back from God.
2. God is a giver. John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave, and we are
called to imitate God Eph 5:1,2. Giving shows that we love what God loves.
3. A generous soul does better in life than a stingy soul. Isaiah 32:8. We
need to get bigger: getting a generous view on life leads to living a bigger
life with a big heart.
4. Giving defeats greed and money from ruling our lives. Mt 19:21 We will
rule our money, or our money will rule us. Being generous is one step in this, as
we tell our money where to go and what to do we are ruling over it.
5. Greater blessing will flow into our lives through giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6
As we give we grow in this giving nature, but we also receive blessings. When
you give it never leaves you. It just leaves your present and ends up in your
future.
6. Giving pleases God. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (AMP) God loves a cheerful giver!
Giving is such a part of God’s nature that it pleases him when we start to live
generously, like Him. In Genesis 8:21 when Noah offered up his sacrifice, God
was so pleased, He vowed He would never again flood the Earth under any
circumstance.
7. Giving brings success in our work. Eph 4:28 We are inspired to greater
industriousness when we live and work for purposes greater than ourselves. If
we don’t produce, then all we do is consume.
8. We become bigger people. Isaiah 54:2,3 As we give, we move from being
small people, to big people. As we step out and stretch ourselves this causes
growth and enlargement in our life.
9. Two offerings that changed the world. One of the reasons the devil opposes
offerings so vehemently is because they have so much power. Had he realised
the death of Christ was an offering he would never have incited it through Judas.
Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah: Abraham didn’t hold back from giving
God his best, generosity towards God was in his spirit. Gen 22:15-18
10. Jesus gave Himself for us. Eph 5:20. We should give thanks to God for what
Jesus did- giving Himself for us. We should view our giving in light of what Jesus
did; our giving of money is a small thing compared to what Jesus gave.
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