“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” – Luke 6:38
“In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.” – Henry Ward Beecher
Simply put, you can’t out-give God. Of course, this doesn’t always mean material riches, but in one way or another God will return more to you than you give to Him. This is one of those mysterious principles of God’s Kingdom, yet absolutely true in a Christian’s life experience. Why? Perhaps it is because generosity is at the core of God’s nature and He longs for us to experience the freedom of following after His generous heart? Remember, we serve a God of grace, where He lavishes undeserved favor upon us. God is a Giver. Listen to how Randy Alcorn talks about grace as a catalyst for our generosity:
“Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. It doesn’t come out of our altruism or philanthropy–it comes out of the transforming work of Christ in us. This grace is the action; our giving is the reaction. We give because He first gave to us. The greatest passage on giving in all Scripture ends not with “Congratulations for your generosity,” but “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)” – Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle: Discovering the secret of joyful giving, p. 30.
This Christmas season, let the beautiful grace of God stir in your heart and respond with cheerful generosity in all kinds of ways! (2 Corinthians 9:7)
In Christ,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org