The fantastic benefits of Generosity. 

One needs to be reminded of the fantastic benefits of giving especially in times of need and despair.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

Winston Churchhill

For it is in giving that we receive.

St. Francis of Assisi

Giving is one of the primary ways spiritual people multiply and sustain the grace they’ve received. Usually, people do not appreciate or value the free gift they’ve received.

We reciprocate the gift we have received by paying it forward! In this way, we not only cherish the gift received, but we also increase and maintain it. The gift of righteousness, healing, and salvation is multiplied in and through us by sharing it freely with others. Subsequently, the spiritual growth is in the sharing! The maturity comes in the giving! The more you give, the more you increase in authority and spiritual stature.  Your capacity to receive is increased when you give more.  

Keep the flow

Freely you have received, thus freely give! (Matt. 10:8). You cannot earn holiness, the fruit of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, faith, and the supernatural power of God. It is all a gift!  By sowing love, goodness, mercy, compassion, wisdom, kindness, and faithfulness, your increase in receiving more of these fruits! 

By giving, we keep ourselves in the flow of grace.  God is the Source-giver! He is the Giver of Life and Creator-giver of all that is in the Universe! The creation and the universe sustain and provide for our life needs! We are synchronized with the Creator and creation when we continue to reciprocate the giving received. 

Giving is a universal law. A tree will produce more fruit when under stress! Ultimately, God will get it TO you if He can get it THROUGH you! 

Giving is Our Primary Love Language

The most preached and quoted verse in the bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  We discover the heart of the God of LOVE in this verse! Love Gives! If you are not giving, you’re not loving! 

Giving is Spiritual Warfare

Lately, the enemy has attempted to attack our supply lines! Indeed, an effective war strategy.  Believers, however, will not be deterred; the more you take from believers, the more they give.  We are givers by the divine nature He has released within us! Giving is our new nature and fruit of righteousness! 

Love is one of our greatest weapons of war – love is giving in action!
Believers give themselves out of trouble!

Eliminate Money Idolatry

You cannot love God and money! (Matt. 6:21-22). By giving we profane satan, like a boxer getting up and stone-facing his opponent after receiving a debilitating blow.  By giving, we deal with any roots of the idolatry of money in our lives.  Our giving is a declaration of trust in God! The Israelites could not find rest because they were constantly striving for provision.  

The fruit of righteousness is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17). The peace we have received and endure to keep is rooted in divine contentment, believing that we have already obtained all we need in Christ.  We never strive or fear for provision, like the heathens do. Matt. 6:32: “Father knows that you need all these things.” 

“Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.”

Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other.  

The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. (Prov 11:25)

Expect a Harvest

Some people confuse their seed for food.  If you eat and consume all your seeds, you have nothing to sow and thus eventually nothing to eat. These people will now become a burden to others, who must continue to give, which is consumed again—never breaking the cycle of lack. This is called the Aid-trap. Seedtime harvest is a natural law farmers know very well.  They must sow to have a harvest! They will limit their consumption to have more to plant, to achieve a greater harvest! 

There is also a difference between pity and compassion.  A good sower knows to sow good seed in good soil! If you give money to people who do not know how to be faithful or good stewards of their money, you strengthen their weakness.  Poor people have poor ways.  Money is an amplifier. If you are a drunk, money will make you buy more booze! If you are a terrible steward, more money will worsen your misappropriation, losing it all.  

One of the ancient Jewish principles of wealth distribution is: You are obligated to give from what you have gained; the Jews have made it a science to ensure they give to agencies and foundations that have the most impact and can show countability and fiduciary integrity.  Hence, they see their giving as an investment into someone willing to develop themselves to be later able to give.  Giving to someone who cannot show anything for what they have received is seen as a thief and a wicked person (Matt. 25:26). 

Giving Makes You Feel Wealthy

Have you ever given money? How does it make you feel? You feel good, accomplished, and blessed. This sense of feeling blessed is important because how you view yourself is how people are going to perceive you. By giving you transform your countenance, and people tend to trust, give, and collaborate more with people that feel good about themselves, that shines! Is it not true, that we tend to listen, respect, and revere wealthy people more than others?

The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly. (Prov 14:24)

The fantastic benefits of giving surpass the fearful notion of clinging and closing your hand. We are born with open hands, to bless instead of making a fist to harm.

His Supply Line Never Runs Dry

Depend upon it: “God’s work done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” He meant every kind of supply. – Hudson Taylor

• The fruit of the Spirit is a desirable character needed to earn a living. (Gal 5:21-22)
• Supernatural Gifts – Gal 3:5.
• He gives us the words to speak – Mat 10:20
• Work His will in us – Phil 2:13
• Supply seed to the sower – 2 Cor 9:10
• Supply physically through His Body – Eph 4:16; 2 Cor 8:14
• Supply of the Spirit of Christ – Phil 1:19
• Supply in all your needs because of your giving to apostolic cause – Phil 4:19
• Supply what is lacking in your faith – 1 Thes 3:10
• Sufficient Grace in times of need – 2 Cor 12:9
• Finish His work in you – Phil 1:16; Heb 13:21
• Supply peace that passes understanding – Phil 4:6-8

The Inherent Provision in Creation

Every created thing has an inherent provision (Mat 6:22-35). The way that God blesses us is, through blessing the land (Ps 65:9-13). God provides by blessing the Land. The most natural way of God’s provision to us lies in nature, farming, sowing and reaping (Hos 10:12). Plant your own garden of herbs or veggies!

What Do You Have in Your House?

The prophet asked the widow: “What do you have?” Often God’s provision is in what we already have. “silver and gold I have not, but what I have I give you” Jesus also taught His disciples “You give them something to eat”. Like Paul I like to pray that our spiritual eyes be opened to the calling, inheritance and power we have within us (Eph. 1:19-21).

Money is Only a Means

Poverty lacks access to a means. We do not need money, we need a means, to make, or earn money. Many people who have won a lot of money do not know what to do with it. They lack a means. We cannot trust in the means, because it can change, we can loose it, either by our own doing, or someone else doing.

God cares for the birds, who do not sow or reap, nor gather into barns (Mat 6:26). Do not trust in your sowing, trust God! We on a constant journey to discover different means of income, to provide not only for ourselves but others also. Each person ought to develop their vocation in obedience to Christ.

Nick Vujicic does not have any legs or arms, yet he ministers all over the world. He became perfected through obedience and now has a powerful story to tell, becoming an author of hope to millions. ((Footnote https://nickvujicic.com))

See the Lord’s Provision

Jehovah Jireh: H3070. יִרְאֶה יְהוָֹה y hōwāh yir’eh: A proper noun designating Jehovah Jireh, a name given to designate the Lord by Abraham for providing a sacrifice in place of Isaac (Gen. 22:14). It means “the Lord will see to it” literally or “the Lord will provide.” You need to see your provision to be able to obtain it. Often in survival circumstances, people die, because they could not see the provision in what they had around them. Abraham had to see God’s provision in the ram. Look at what is obvious, close proximity to you.

He who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor. (Prov 22:9)

You will not become good in anything if it is not already within you. Ellen Odendaal, former MD of Bokomo Uganda, once told me. If you have to do a course at something so that you will be able to do it, you were not meant to do it. Doing a course in public speaking, won’t make you a good speaker, you should ready have it in you. The course is only for improvement. Recognize the gifts that God has already put in you.

Faithfulness in The Small Things

Being faithful is so important for success. You will never go forward if you never learn to first be faithful in the small things (Luke 16:19). The way I disciple people is to first give them simple commands, then once they complete them accurately, we can go ahead to greater things. No plant in God’s garden begins as a full-grown tree. We want to skip the steps and create plastic human-made plants, that look nice, but they’re dead.

Shrewdness and Prudence

φρονίμως phronímōs; adv. from phrónimos (G5429), prudent.

It denotes the wise, prudent and sensible manner in which one conducts himself and his affairs. In Luke 16:8 the word means with advantage, shrewdly. “Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.” The Message Translation

But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand. (Isa 32:8)

Find a Need and Heal It

Deut. 8:18 – He gives you power to attain wealth – God has made provision for every man, it is what you make of the opportunities you did receive that will bring you greater opportunities. Most often your provision lies in the very thing you have suffered. Like a pearl, your endurance and obedience to work through the irritation have produced a pearl of value in you.

Charismatic and Pentecostal people can fall in the trap of trying to fix everything with prayer, laying of hands, and magical witchcraft. Paul says: “working with my own hands” he provided for those who was in his company. Pastors who forsake work and labour, become professional beggars and shrewd in taking up offerings to sustain themselves. Much error has crept into the church because of this.

Work Hard

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it. (Prov 10:22).

No one can by working alone produces wealth and riches without adding great sorrow, because one puts your trust in work, not in God. Trust in God first, and do what He tells you to do faithfully! The riches He gives adds no sorrow!

• 2 Cor 6:5 – labours
• 2 Cor 10:15 – measure of our labour . We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others.
• 2 Cor 11:23 – with far greater labors
• 1 Cor 15:10; 1 Cor 4:12 – Working with our own hands;
• 2 Thes 3:8 – with toil and labor