“Give out of Love” Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:1 When it comes to giving, God set the pace. John 3:16 says that He gave His only begotten Son for us. Stop and think about this: God did not send one of a thousand begotten sons, or one of a million begotten sons, or even one of two begotten sons to die. No, He sent His only begotten Son -- and it hurt Him. There was tremendous pain and sacrifice involved. Jesus died an agonizing death so that you and I could have everlasting life. But what motivated this amazing gift? In a word, love. God so loved the world that he gave His Son for us. So often we think that the more we give, the better -- especially if it involves sacrifice on our part. After all, the Bible tells us not just to give that which is out of our abundance, but to be like the widow who offered her whole livelihood (see Mark 12:41-44). And thats true. But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. You see, we can give away everything we own, but if we are not motivated by love, our giving is in vain. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). When you give out of love, you are willing to suffer long. You do not parade your gift. You are not puffed up. You arent seeking your own. You expect nothing in return. Dont write checks for the purpose of writing it off your taxes, or getting a plaque, or getting your picture with someone important. Give out of love. God doesnt care about how much you give; He cares about your motive. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Mike MacIntosh of San Diego, Horizon Christian Fellowship
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:40:44 +0000
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