Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living from what we get. We make a life from what we give.” There is a lot of wisdom in those words. I have written before about the joy of sharing our blessings with others. The Bible has a lot to say about giving. The most familiar verses are those we hear quoted when a TV evangelist is seeking financial support. We are reminded, “For the Lord loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) But we don’t often hear the first part of that same verse; “You must each decide in your own heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.” We are also encouraged to sow “seed money” in order to reap a harvest of wealth. It is true that we will reap what we sow, but that applies to a whole lot more than money.
The Apostle Paul tells us something about giving that seems quite obvious. “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) I think Paul is telling us if we concentrate on what we don’t have we will be less willing to give some of what we have. But if we concentrate on what we have, we will be more likely to share some of it with those less fortunate than ourselves. In a much broader sense, people sometimes do try to give what they don’t have. Have you ever known an unwise person who tries to give others “wise” advice? I think sometimes Christians try to give others encouragement when they lack it in their own life. You cannot share or give what you don’t possess. I want us to concentrate for a moment on why Christians give rather than what we give.
As Christians, we are children of a very generous Heavenly Father. He gave His own son to die so that we may live a new and eternal life. He doesn’t just give us our daily bread; He gives us every breath in our lungs and every beat of our hearts. As I think back on 50 years of marriage, I am reminded of Proverbs 19:14. “Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.” God has blessed me with so much more than earthly treasures. He gives me peace that the world can’t give. (See John 14:27) He gives me rest from my burdens (See Matthew 11:28-30) He gives me all of these priceless gifts and so much more that no one can take from me. So what am I to give Him in return for all He has given me – a bright colored tie on Fathers’ Day? Of course not! I want to give Him whatever He wants. All He wants is for us to obey His Holy Spirit within us; to love Him with all of our mind, heart and soul; and then to love and share with others as if we were doing it directly to Him. In a very real sense that is exactly the way we give to Him. (Matthew 25:40) We love and obey because He loves us. We give because He has given us life.