It’s the time of year that we all think about giving. We offer a token of our love to those around us by cooking a meal and sharing. We take a child’s name from the angel tree and buy a gift. We give a special offering at church for those in need. We celebrate Thanksgiving and are reminded that we are to be thankful for all God has given us. At our home, we have a few traditions that I hope we never break. One is the sharing time. After our meal, we sit around the table and each one from the youngest to the oldest takes their turn in telling the family what God has done in their life in the past year, and what we are praying for in the coming year. It’s always a very emotional time, but a time that I wouldn’t trade for anything. God has been so very good to us. All are saved, and all have a desire to serve and grow in their faith. But what I think is so good about this tradition is that it requires us to acknowledge the goodness of God. Not just any god, but our personal God. Acknowledgment not only gives God the credit for all he has done for us but challenges us to do more for Him.
My question for us today is why do we have to wait for a holiday to share what God has given? Why do we not focus on using all he has blessed us with all year long? To a Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have a God that has bestowed on us the “riches of His glory.” We have that 365 days a year. Yet, we only seem to be fully aware of it for about 30 days out of the year.
The following verses are promises from God to the giver, not for the non-giver. Paul is showing us what God does in return for the expression of giving from the heart. We can’t take this out of context and use it as a blank check to apply to everyone. It is not a promise to everyone. If that were true no one would go to bed hungry.
Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Paul is overwhelmed by the generosity of the Philippian church. Not just because they met his needs, but because of the heart that gave it. These Christians were giving out of their poverty, not their wealth. He commends them and makes the statement, inspired by God, that all their needs will be supplied. Why? Because they were selfless, they were not thinking of what they could give without hurting their lifestyle, or what they could give and still have their wants. No, these Christians were not thinking of themselves at all. God longs to give to those who are selfless and focused on Him getting the glory, and not themselves. This is their God. The one they have a personal relationship with, the one they call Father, and as a Father gives to his children, God gives to them.
We need to understand also that this verse promises to supply our needs, not our wants. Most of the time our wants far exceed our needs. We confuse them so much because God has given so much, we get used to it and consider it a need. God knows our needs and it is up to him to determine what they are.
Also, notice the method of His giving, it is according to His riches in glory. Again, this is to His saints. He gives to others but not by the same method. They are blessed because the rain falls on the just and unjust. They are part of the big scheme of life, but they are not gaining blessings because of who they are in Him.
He gives another promise to the giver in Luke 6:38. Give and it will be given unto you.
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
We don’t give to get, but there are great promises to those who give from the heart. The way we measure out our giving is also how it will be measured out to us. If you are a generous giver, then generosity will be measured back to you. Again, this is a family matter, we have a promise to the child of God that gives.
We have an awesome God that gives us many precious promises in His word. Most always they are conditional. This means something is required of us to obtain the promise. Do you meet the condition as a generous giver? The word of God is of very little value to us if we do not make an application so let me give you some things to think upon.
When was the last time you gave generously?
How often do you give to others?
Do you seek out opportunities to give?
Do you give only to those who are in your circle that will give back to you?
Are you seeking for your “wants” to be met before you meet the needs of others?
