Giving

Luke 12:13-21 ¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." ¹⁴Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" ¹⁵Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." ¹⁶And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. ¹⁷He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' ¹⁸Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.' ¹⁹And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'You fool! this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you prepared for yourself?' ²¹This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.¹

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 ⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.²

God desires us to be generous and to give with joy. A number of years ago I was working on a talk on love, "agape" love or the godly self-sacrifical kind of love that Jesus demonstrated on the cross some two thousand years ago. It was interesting because as I studied the subject of love I continued to come across another word that seemed to be a synonym for love, the world "give." Whenever we love we really give. We give of our time, our heart, and our lives to those we care deeply about. Thus in emphasizing generosity God is really wanting us to be lovers of others. People who care and bless others.

Back in Israel's history God told them that they would be blessed so that they could be a blessing to others.

Genesis 12:1-3 ¹The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. ²I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."³

So, how are you going to be a blessing to others?

¹ Luke 12:13-21, NIV.
² 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, NIV.
³ Genesis 12:1-3, NIV.