You can't outgive God

"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10

There is much talk and debate about tithing in the church today. I grew up with the idea of tithing. People say now that we are in the "church age" we are no longer under the Old Testament law of "tithing." People go back and forth about how much we "should" give. But I think that is missing the point. Giving is all about the heart. This is how Paul put it: “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The New Testament is full of verses about giving.......

When we take the obligation out of giving, everything changes. It liberates us to give out of the abundance and gratitude of our heart.  We give because God has given so much to us. We can never outgive God, He has already given all He has. He gave us His very treasure, the thing that was nearest and dearest to His heart.

God gave His Son.....
And Jesus gave Himself.....

Out of our tremendous gratitude, we give ourselves.

This is not easy sometimes. Especially giving that calls for a sacrifice. Giving that hurts, costs us something. But God attaches a blessing to that, when we do it......"Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to." Deuteronomy 15:10

He knows it is not easy. All her life my Mom had to budget. Before computers and online banking, which she has never used, she knew exactly how much money she had in the bank. She still does. My Dad worked two and three jobs, always. He hardly ever took sick time. Mom did childcare in our home. They saved. We didn't go to fancy restaurants, didn't go to Disneyland......but they always gave.

They are a testimony of what happens when you spend a life giving........My Mom says: "I told your Dad how much money we had in our checking account and he just laughed!" She says, "The money just keeps coming in." And my Mom keeps giving it out! To friends, neighbors, everyone with a need.......She always runs it by Dad, who says, "Don't tell me how much, just do it." He has learned you can't outgive God.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25 NAS

Here is the same verse in the Message....."The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller."

So don't worry about how much you should give, just give and you will be blessed!

Today I give thanks for all who have sown seeds of giving in me:

the blogging community for contributing their time and talents back to God.....my parents, who went without themselves to give me braces and send me to a dermatologist among many other things......so many friends who over the years, gave me time, support, kindness, laughter, prayers and shoulders to cry and lean on.....relatives now gone who went above and beyond to pay medical bills when I was born, teachers who stayed to visit after school, giving encouragement....Pastors who rightly divided the Word of truth all along the way......And lived it....God, of course, who gave all He had so that I might live.......#639-646