By Ps Lorraine Woodson
1st
Corinthians 16:2_
2On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something
aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
Philippians
4:19_19And
my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.
In
New Testament giving, we all have something to give, whether money or food or
anything to God as an offering. It is not always about giving money but to give
everything we give and to give with a cheerful heart. Giving is not more an
issue of money but an issue of Trust; trust in God that He will supply.
The
Born Again Christian has to be careful not to make money his security but to
use it as only something that God has given and trusted us with to steward. Our
ultimate security is in God.
Proverbs
3:9-10_9Honour
the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase. 10So
your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new
wine.
Increase
can come of all kinds of things, happiness, salary, and many other things. So
for a person who says ‘I don’t have much’; it would mostly depend on who is
being compared with, either the poor or the rich. Comparison with people that
we think are very rich makes us feel like we don’t have much to give and yet
comparison with the poor feels like we have so much to give every day.
2nd
Corinthians 9:6-8_6But
this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7So let each one give as he
purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful
giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that
you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for
every good work.
Proverbs
11:24_24There
is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more
than is right, but it leads to poverty.
When
we learn to give as God requires us to;
·
All grace abounds to us.
·
Will always have all sufficiency in all
things.
·
Will have an abundance for every good
work.
Malachi
3:10_10Bring
all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try
Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the
windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be
room enough to receive it.
No
church can run smoothly if its members do not give consistently.
Genesis
14:18-19_18Then
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God
Most High. 19And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God
Most High, possessor of heaven and earth;
It
was out of Abram’s own initiative that he gave Melchizedek a tithe of all. If
we love God, we want to honour Him with all our first gifts/increase.
2nd
Chronicles 31:10_10…“Since
the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had
enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people; and
what is left is this great abundance.”
Because
of the people’s consistent giving, they had enough and overflow.
Some
characteristics of New Testament financial giving;
1. Giving
should be personal.
2. Be
consistent in giving.
3. Our
giving should be joyous.
4. Should
be generous. Proverbs 22:9
God
can bless us in more ways than one when we give rightfully by giving us good
health, good relationships, strength to work…
Questions
for thought:
·
Are you consistent in your tithing to
your home church?
·
When you give offering, do you have
peace about it? And not giving grudgingly?
·
Do you feel more secure when you have
money than when you don’t?