3 minute read
Following the SON
The Giver
BY MICHELE HUGHES
Give, and it will be given to you. A good amount will be poured into your lap. It will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The same amount you give will be measured out to you. (LUKE 6:38 NIRV)
Do you know how many times the word GIVE is used in the Bible? 2,162 times. The word love is used only 741 times. This tells me God puts a lot of emphasis on giving. And no one understands giving more than Jesus. He was willing to give up His life for you. And me. That is the ultimate Giver. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him generously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV)
If you’re like me, you’ve struggled with giving. Giving isn’t natural. From the moment we are born, we are selfish. We want to hold onto things. If you have children, you have seen this played out. Therefore, Jesus knew we would need help in this area of giving. And isn’t it just like Him to be the ultimate giver? Jesus gave His life so that we could have eternal life in Heaven.
What does He want us to give? How does He want us to give? He wants giving to be a priority. Scripture tells us to give our first fruit and our best. We are to give a tenth—a tithe—of our income back to Him to be used for His glory. And we are to give cheerfully. In addition to our finances, we are to give of our time and talents inside and outside of the church. One of the gifts of the Spirit is the gift of giving.
THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE! GOD HAS GIVEN NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED (ACTS 4:12 NLT).
Finally, we are to give freely. Jesus said, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8 KJV). Maybe you have never tithed. Maybe you need more study and a change of heart on the matter. Or maybe you are very generous, and you have experienced the joy of giving. It is better to give than to receive. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of giving, we can all grow in our giving.
Therefore, I challenge you, if you struggle with giving, pray about it and ask God to help you. Start by just being obedient and giving a tenth to your local church. And if you are a generous giver, I challenge you to ask God to show you where and how you can give more for His glory.
And ultimately, God wants us to give our life to Him. To allow Him to be our personal Lord and Savior. He loves us so much.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20 ESV).
Michele Hughes, a #1 best selling author, resides in Jupiter, Florida, with her husband. They own and operate GoLifeSavers.com where Michele has taught CPR classes since 2011 as the lead instructor. Michele holds a master’s degree in education and serves on the leadership team in Women World Leaders. She loves the Son/sun, family, paddle boarding, travel, and encouraging others.
