A great sharing by our very own Pastor Joseph Ang. My thoughts on Giving ... For me, giving is one of the most personal convictions and a beautiful thing we can do for someone we love. It should rightly be so. We know this to be true: You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.” In this day and age, there seems to be so many apprehensions about giving. I have thought about it for a while and wrote this morning, so I hope what Im about to share will encourage you to: Giving without Misgiving. Acts 20:35b And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” No one is a born giver. We are all born receivers. As a member of my family, I have always been a recipient of the good that comes from the provision of my parents and other family members. When I was a child, I look forward to family gatherings and celebrations especially on Chinese New Year, birthday and special occasions because I know that besides the fun and food, I can collect some “Ang Baos” that can translate to my-wish-list come true. Now that Im older, I still like receiving gifts. I am always happy to receive but I have to learn to be happy to give. In this day and age where there are trust issues concerning giving, allow me to share with you about growing to become a giver. Way back in 1988, in my secondary school days, my good friend brought me to a cell group and I was deeply touched by God that day. Out of the knowledge and experience of God, my life took a 180-degrees turn. From the cell group that Brother Kong was leading, I learnt about tithing and giving. Faithfully, I learn to set aside 10% of my allowance. It started from $4 a month to $10 to $15 to $20 and it continues to grow. As a young person, I never knew how to be strict with myself. I needed a shepherd. A spiritual leader who was willing to lead by example. At that time, I saw how Brother Kong gave many tuitions to support himself and the infant church that I was a part of. He is still my Pastor and the same person Ive known 26 years ago. Back then, everyone sacrificed. We didnt compare who was doing better than who. Everyone had a joy unspeakable. Life was simple. We preach the gospel and build the church the best we know how. When our parents knew we were believers and limited our allowances because we gave to the church, we simply kept a great attitude, pray and find some part time jobs or tuition to continue to give. God has blessed me and my family. He has blessed us as a church. However, the sacrifices are still fresh in my mind. Nothing much has changed. And Im still learning as a giver. I remember when I was in Bible School in 1998 when I was left to my last dollar. I had to empty out the deposit from my Ez-link card the day before. I had to decide between taking a bus home or saving the last one dollar. I walked home that day instead. When I got married in 2002, my wife and I moved in to our new flat in Jurong West. It was building fund season in church. We gave $5000 to the Arise and Build with tears in our eyes because that was our renovation money. The church was built debt-free with the sacrifices of young and old, after seven rounds of Arise and Build campaign. Some people might ask, “What if God does not bless you after you give?” As you can see, that is not most important to me. Sooner or later, God is going to bless me. I believe that sometimes He answers later to answer better. Giving is not always convenient. It involves putting away some plans. It delays some needful expenditure. It disrupts some form of comfort. For some, it forgoes some part of the quality of life. The fact of the matter is I gave with the conviction that I am giving unto the Lord. Col 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Giving doesnt always happen when I have excess. Giving is challenging because of limited resources. Who does not? There are always more demands of life financially compared to the supply of funds. Bearing that in mind, the purpose of giving and the goal we want to achieve takes central place. Why should I give? Is it more valuable to give than to meet my own needs? Will it achieve its goals? Will God receive it? Even if God has received it, will He bless me in return? This matrix of questions goes through most givers’ mind. The defining difference, however, for me when I narrow it down is, “Is it done unto the Lord”? If it is, it is enough for me. Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Giving has pain involved. The overriding power to give happens when the desire to love and bless is greater than the pain. I submit that dissenters felt the pain and want “justice” to their giving because the desire to love and bless has diminished and the pain of giving has taken over. Mother Theresa “Its not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Could it be that all it matters is to give unto the Lord out of love? From here, I want to share about giving my tithe and building fund to different mission aspects of the church. I am a giver to the multi-purpose account that has been much talked about in the media recently. Personally, as long as I know that the purposes of God and the missions of the church are fulfilled, I am free to give as led by the Lord. If someone asked me, “Are you giving 10% of your income”? My answer is a definite “Yes”. I love Him as much as I fear the Lord. I obey His word. And as long as I do that, I know that all is well between me and the Lord. At the end of the day, the amount that I have set aside to give to the Lord be it tithe, building fund or missions giving has not changed. Until today, CHC and its missions continue to be the biggest portion of where I give to. The fact is that this is the place where my family and I are fed spiritually and growing in Christ. It is also a place I believe God has a great plan for. With these great visions come great demands in our church, which can only be met by our increased giving. I believe that our giving will result in Him giving seeds to us and harvest if we do not lose heart. Gal 6:9 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. The topic of giving is a matter of the heart. Together with a clear understanding, giving helps us to grow in love and faith. We should not be weary in doing good. And we can be, and should be, Giving without Misgiving.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:06:01 +0000
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