Giving Till It Hurts?


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One church got a special box for its tithes and offering to encourage (read: force) people to give more money. 
If you drop in a hundred pesos or more, it would make no noise, it will be silent. If you give fifty pesos, a little bell would ring. If you gave twenty pesos, it would blow a whistle. If you give ten pesos, a siren would go off. If you give five pesos or less, a shot would sound. If you give nothing, it would take your picture and post it on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with all the church members tagged on it! [1]
We usually hear people say, “Give till it hurts.” But, we should not dread giving. We should give till it stops hurting. We should delight in giving. It is not supposed to be a burden but a blessing. One way of making sure that money occupies its rightful place in our hearts is through our giving. Always remember that God blesses us not just to increase our standard of living but also, much more, to increase our standard of giving.

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We are both responsible to God for our spending and our giving. Someone who has a poverty mentality gives because it is duty, a burden, something that we do because it is just the right thing to do. Someone who has a prosperity mentality gives because it is a deal, somewhat like a get-rich quick scheme, I give and God must return it a hundredfold. But someone who has a stewardship mentality gives out of devotion, an expression of love and joy for God. 

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When the apostle Paul collected offering for the relief operation for the Jewish believers, he marveled at the loving generosity of the poor believers in Macedonia.
Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. (2 Corinthians 8:2-4, The Message)
As a popular saying goes, “You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.” Love is the motive. Giving is one of its expression. We are to give out of a heart overflowing with thanksgiving for God’s goodness to us. 

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A grateful heart has a generous hand. 

Money Matters #5
If we measure our commitment to God by our commitment to giving, how would we fare? This week, we have learned a lot about poverty mentality, prosperity mentality and stewardship mentality. Pray for an opportunity to share the lessons you gleaned with your family or with your friends.

Prayer:
Lord, may we always prioritize our giving of Your tithes and our offerings. It is our way of thanking You for all Your blessings. We recognize that everything comes from You and You are not asking us for what You have not given us the capability to give. Thus, our love gift.

NOTE: This is Day Five of the devotional guide (Volume 1, Issue 4) of our church, Filinvest Community Christian Fellowship, for the message last Sunday, March 22, on “Unleash Your Family Finances!” by bestselling authors, Bro. Vic and Sis. Avelynn Garcia of Unleash International.

 [1] Adapted from “Charles Swindoll’s Favorite Stories & Illustrations” (Mandaluyong City: OMF Literature, 2000), 388.

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