On Giving

On Giving

I used to be in the habit of writing a little devotional every day, for myself and others, based on the verse of the day on my phone Bible app. I'll try to pick up that habit again and hopefully my writing will bless and build up some of you. :) The verse for today is:
Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Ironically just about every sermon lately on TBN has been about giving. I have been watching a lot of TBN lately. Of course that could be because they need money and they are encouraging people to give to support their TV station, which is understandable given how expensive it is to run it, but the application for me is in the Jesus packets that I make.

I have recently decided to use our tithe money for my Jesus packets, to get fun and beneficial things to put them, like bookmarks with Bible verses on them. What better way for a tithe to be used than to help spread the gospel? No better way I think.

I have always been a bit anti tithing at church because I don't believe tithe money should go to buy bigger speakers etc. But to each his own on where they want to give money. Giving to TBN would probably be a worthy cause, but also making packets to share the gospel more effectively is too.

But it's funny that this is the verse for today. When I write about giving, all that is to say, I don't necessarily mean to your church. And you can give whatever you want; your time, talents, clothes or other things etc. It doesn't have to be money that you give, and it doesn't have to be pastors that you always give to.

Biblically we are supposed to be giving to the poor. There is a verse that says, "If you shut your ears to the poor, then you too will cry out and not be heard." There is a great ministry that I am now aware of in downtown Austin called "Street Youth." It is bascially just one guy that ministers to homeless teens downtown. I think my packets will mainly be going to that ministry now.

But there are other ministries that you can give to that minister to the poor. Any orphanage would be great to give to; food, clothes, money etc. Any ministry to homeless would be great or to single mothers etc.

Our number one calling as Christians is to care for the poor, not ourselves. When we give to our churches, we are actually caring for ourselves. Why? Because they use a lot of the money to make your church experience more comfortable and more entertaining for you. But why not give to the poor? Why not give to those who can't give anything back to us? Why don't we as Christians do that anymore?

It's no wonder the world doesn't believe us when we say we are Christians, because we aren't doing what Jesus told us to do, for the most part. We aren't caring for the poor very much at all. That is sad.

I used to have a strong desire to make PB and J sandwiches and drive around where homeless people hang out and give them away. But of course then I might worry about my safety, which is probably why most Christians don't do much things like that for the poor. We think if we give away anything they will ask us for everything. But you can always make things and have others give them away, or give to those who are giving to them etc.

But this principle is very interesting, that however much we give to others is how much we will get back. But of course his should not be our motive for giving. We do not give to get. That would be selfish, and that would defeat the whole purpose for WHY God tells us to give. God tells us to pick up our cross daily, lay down our lives, kill our flesh etc. Giving is one of the best ways that we can practically to that. As long as we cling tightly to our stuff, our money, our time, our talents, our resources, we will not reap anything. We will not be given back to because we not giving anything away. "Give and it will be given to you." We think in keeping things, we will have more, but the opposite is true. The more you give away, the more you have. Why? Because the more generous you are, the more God will bless you. Amen.

The way God works is always the complete opposite of the way the world works. Remember that. So give in order to have. Don't hoard things. Give anything you can, whenever you can, and God will bless you. Amen.

God bless!