BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Giving back to God is a Christian discipline as a response to who God is in your life and family. True giving must be directed to God not an individual.
Spirit led giving has three dimensions as seen in this scripture; generosity, willingness and cheerfulness.
The success of the harvest is directly proportional to the number of seed sown. As Christians we are to sow the seed of the word individually and collectively.
We are to give of ourselves in the service of Him who loved and gave His life for us. The gift of Jesus in John 3:16 signify the extreme love of the father to a lost world.
Our giving is the sign of gratitude to that extravagant love revealed in Christ Jesus. Generosity dominated the world of giving in the Old Testament times. People were commanded by God to give a tenth of their income back to God for the provision, maintenance and perpetuity of the ordained ministry, the Temple and all things associated with administering God’s ordinances.
This practice continues until today. “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Pro 11:24- 25).
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion” (Vs. 7). The matter of giving is very much between you and God: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give”: Search your heart. Do you love the Lord Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior?
Consider what He did for you in and through His life, death and resurrection. Consider what He continues to do for you as your Intercessor with the Father and will do for you as the Author and Finisher of your faith.
Can you and I ever do enough or give enough of ourselves to Jesus? We are not to give reluctantly or under compulsion. The church cannot force members and adherents into giving generously but I would remind you of the Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy to “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Tim.6:18).
We are to be like Jacob who says to his brother: “Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need” (Genesis 33:11).
God blesses those who give willingly as in 2Corinthians 9:8. The third aspect of giving is having a cheerful Spirit as in verse 7, “For God loves a cheerful giver”.
Personal integrity and honesty enhance our giving. David in 1 Chronicles 29:17 said: “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”
As we take our lap towards the completion of the Cathedral, let us give willingly, generously and cheerfully.
