The Gift of Giving (8)
A gifted story: Billy usually fidgeted during
the sermon, but this morning he was captivated by the story being
told from the pulpit. The pastor had just told about the poor widow
who gave all she had to the church, and how that was more meaningful
than all the riches conveniently given by wealthy persons. Billy
had his little coin purse with him-- it was filled with coins he
had saved over many weeks. The plate was being passed down the
pew. He knew what he had to do. When the plate arrived in front
of him he squeezed open his coin pouch and all the coins tumbled
out into the plate, and then it moved on. For a moment he was stunned
by what he had done, but then joy overcame him and he was most
glad at heart.
Biblical references:
Romans 12:6-8 - So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with
the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message,
we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we
should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others,
we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do so generously; whoever
has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do
so cheerfully.
2 Cor. 8:2-4 - They (the churches in Macedonia) have been severely tested
by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were
extremely generous in their giving, even though they are very poor. I can
assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they
could. Of their own free will they begged us and pleaded for the privilege
of having a part in helping God’s people in Judea.
Definition and comment:
The gift of Giving: the special gift that God gives to certain members of
the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of
the Lord liberally and cheerfully. This kind of giving from material blessings
is characterized by exceptional willingness. The believer is able to recognize
God’s blessings and to respond by generously and even sacrificially
giving of one’s material resources to support the Lord’s work.
The Greek word for “giving” is metadidomi - it means “to
share,” “to impart,” or “to bestow.” None of
these root meanings convey any sense of self-benefit. What is involved is
simply unconditional giving. The Holy Spirit directs the giver to exercise
the gift for the common good, and the giver obeys this message in the heart
in such a manner as to draw no personal attention.
There is a temptation to connect this gift with the wealthy, but that would
be in error because even the poor can exercise this gift with the greatest
of effectiveness. Jesus took special note of the poor woman who gave “all
she had to live on” to the Temple Treasury (see Luke
21: 1-4). Even though it was only two small coins, it became a
gift that taught a lesson of great importance about sanctity of sacrificial
giving.
Attitude, perceptiveness, and the spirit of self-sacrifice are the keys to
understanding this gift. When giving is characterized by these attributes,
the supernatural dimension is evident, and the spiritual gift of giving is
undoubtedly at work.
Affirm that you have this gift; questions to ask yourself:
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Do you feel moved to give when confronted with
financial needs in God’s kingdom?
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Are you willing to have a lower standard of living
in order to benefit God’s work with your finances?
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Do you have a conviction that all you have belongs
to God and you want to be a good steward for the sake of his kingdom?
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Do you freely and joyfully give of your resources
because you love God?
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Do your giving records show that you give more
than 10% of your income to the Lord’s work?
Areas for study and personal growth:
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Explore giving as it is described in scripture.
Read Romans 12:8; Acts 4:32-37; Luke 8:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:1-7; 2 Cor.
9:6-15; Mat. 6:2-4; 1 Cor. 13:3; 2 Cor. 9:7; Phil. 4:14-19.
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Learn as much as you can about being a good steward
of the resources God has given you. Through good practices of budgeting,
cost control, and abatement of compulsory behaviors, you will be
able to maximize your giving potential.
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Become aware of the needs of all that your giving
may be able to help, whether in the church or elsewhere. No matter
how willing you are to give, there are limitations to what you
can do. It will be important to know where God wants you to direct
your giving. Prayer is essential to hear God’s voice in this.
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Find out how others who have this gift choose
to exercise it. Biographies about philanthropists may be helpful
in understanding the ways and means by which they exercised this
gift. Examples of the generosity of people with more meager means
may be even more enriching as you assess the best way to exercise
your gift of giving.
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Become an expert on stewardship in the church.
Create a card file of examples of giving that touch you in a special
way. Share faith stories of the giving of others that clearly demonstrate
how God can use the giving of individuals for great and effectual
purposes.
General ways to use the gift of giving:
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Personally: help a person our financially; help
a Christian friend discover the joy of giving; make a no interest
loan where it will do some good.
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Within the church: contribute generously to a
fund drive; give above what is expected; give a presentation on
stewardship (see more specific church service opportunities in
the Booklet Channels for Using the Gifts).
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Within the wider community: provide financial support
for a Christian organization; invest “seed money” in
a new and needed cause; give an anonymous gift to help a child
attend camp.
For reflection:
Every Christian is called to give support to build up the Body of Christ.
The tithe (10%) is the standard mentioned in the bible, and many people have
yet to reach that level. Since giving is the responsibility of all Christians,
it is hard to grasp that giving is also a spiritual gift given only to some
individuals. But Paul clearly mentions giving as a spiritual gift, so we
know that some people are endowed with this supernatural gift in the same
manner that all Christians are called to have faith, but some are given the
supernatural gift of faith.
If you have the gift of giving and you exercise it through study of needs,
prayer and sacrifice, your giving will be especially God-directed, and there
is assurance that important things will be done. Just as God will call upon
you in a special way to provide from your blessings, he will return back
to you even more blessings. To him you will be the faithful servant worthy
of his trust. There has to be excitement in the prospect of opening the lines
of communication with God, to use his blessings to do work that he has given
you to do. Clearly, the process of deepening your spirituality in order to
know where to exercise your giving will be faith enriching.
And so each of us is to “bring a gift in proportion to the way
the Lord (our) God has blessed (us).” (Deut. 16:17). Our gift
is acceptable to God when the willingness to give is present. It is not the
amount that matters so much as the willingness, and that may be hard for
many Christians to bear. But for the person with the spiritual gift of giving,
the willingness to give comes with the gift - it is just there and there
in ample portion. Therefore the giving will not only alleviate human need,
extend the gospel, and honor God, but it will also enrich the giver in the
assurance that God will always find it acceptable. How wonderful a circumstance
for your action to always be acceptable to God!
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