“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: …he who gives, with liberality;”
Romans 12:6, 8 NKJV
It’s shameful that money, giving, and anything related leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the world and believers alike because of selfish wolves who twist Scripture for their own benefit. Giving is spoken of throughout the entire Bible, yet many today refrain from preaching about it because they are attacked, labeled, and hated because of it. I praise God that I have no title, no leadership position with which others can accuse me of false motives, because I am able to speak freely about the truths of the Bible. I have nothing to gain from other’s obedience to Scripture, aside from the joy of seeing lives transformed and changed by the Lord as they submit to Him.
We were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), and one of the great characteristics of the God we serve is His generosity. From the beginning, He has been generous towards us. He filled the garden of Eden with every fruit-bearing tree and seed-bearing herb that man might need (Gen. 1:29), He provided generously for all of their needs and wants. Throughout history, God has been generous towards His people and has asked His people to imitate Him in doing the same for others. We see His generosity in giving man the Mosaic Law to live by, because through it they were blessed in their obedience. We see His generosity through Jesus Christ, because through Him we were redeemed and set free, restored to right relationship with our generous God.
He gives us life, provision, and every good gift (Jam. 1:17). It should be no surprise then, that one of the gifts of the Spirit is giving. In a world of greed and self-indulgence, this gift is especially needed within the church. Those with this gift set an example for others in how giving should be done, they motivate others with their generosity and are guided by the Spirit to help provide for the needs of the church. They are granted supernatural ability to generate wealth and distribute it as needed, and to refuse to speak about giving or make known the needs of the church is to deny these members of the body the opportunity to use their gift the way God intended.
We don’t need to refrain from speaking of these things, rather, we need to ensure that when we do, it’s done with the heart and mind of Christ. As in all things, money and giving should be taught to the body of Christ in a way that it glorifies God and allows the church to operate the way God designed it too.
