Giving - a way of living
Some people do not like the word "giving" at all. They do not like the idea of taking from what is theirs and give to someone else that may or may not deserve it. But it is my hope and intention that people with such a way of thinking will realize how miserable they have been living after reading this.
Giving is really a lifestyle. It is not only a matter of money. Some people give their tithe and then think they now have done it all. Such thinking is based upon self-righteousness ("if I just do this, God will accept me") and not the true, righteousness of God, that results in we putting the will of God first in our lives.
You can give money. You can also give time, which is really a much more valuable thing than money. Think about it. If you lose all your money, you can get new money. But when you have used up all your days on this earth, what will you do? I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty here, I just want you to know that God values the way you spend your time very high.
There are few things that are so lovely as giving. Really, the bible is all about it. But perhaps you haven't though about it before. The single most known verse in the bible is probably this one. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Joh 3:16). You have probably read this verse many times before, but have you realized what it says? God gave his only begotten son so that we could have everlasting life. He gave something so that we could have it. He did not have to do this. If he wanted, he could have just destroyed this world and done away with everything, like he planned to do (Gen 6:6-7). But since God loves you and me very much, he chose not to. Hallelujah!
So, we have seen that God is a giver. But what more is, he wants you to be like him! "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7) You are made in the image of God, and it is very clear that he wants you to resemble him in this aspect.
"What's so wonderful about giving? What if I will become poor because I give away my money? What if I will feel bad if I use my time for helping people?". Well, these questions are really very egoistic. But don't worry, there is someone that cares about you even more than you, and his name is Jesus! He wants you to be blessed. Actually, he says that if you give, it shall be given unto you. (Luk 6:38) Other verses says the same. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (2 Cor 9:6). Now, I want to make one thing very clear. You do not give to receive. If you do, I don't think God will bless you. But nevertheless, when we give we know that God will bless us in return! This was what the man Jesus talked to didn't know (Mark 10:21-22). He trusted in his riches to provide for him. It was his god. The bible warns us on several places about the dangers of this. Some people think this only matters for people who are rich, like Bill Gates. But this is a lie from the devil. We all have to take care to not get greedy. You can be greedy even if you do not have any material possesions at all. However, this is not how God wants you to live. He wants to be your provider. The bible clearly states that he is the one that takes care for us (Matt 6:33, Dt 8:18, Rom 8:32 and so forth).
I do not believe in materialism, but I do believe in a God that cares about our well-being, both regarding our spirit, our soul and our body. Our body certainly needs food for our survival. We also need clothes, ways of getting around (be it a car, a bicycle or whatever fits best for the situation) and so forth. God knows this, and he has clearly stated in his Word that if we put him first, he will give us everything we need (Phil 4:19)! Now, I want you to answer one question for me. Can you give what you do not have?
I think most people, if not all, will answer "No!" to this question. I have already stated from the word that God wants us to have a giving mentality. Can you give someone time, if you don't have any spare time? Clearly not. Can you give someone money if you don't have any money? No, you can't. Does God want us to give money to those who are in need? Yes, he clearly wants. Thus, it is very easy to see that if God wants us to be cheerful givers, he also wants to bless us financially. "the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." (Pr 13:22)
Don't get so super-spiritual you forget that you are a human being, with material, financial needs. However, don't make your financial needs your life. Stay focused on Jesus and He will fix the rest. Our God is a very practical god.