I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
Rich people who have given substantial amounts of their money to help poor, disadvantaged, and sick people will be quick to tell you that they received far more pleasure in giving away the money than in earning it. Some give for misguided motives, such as Warren Buffet, who declares that the many millions he has donated to good causes will earn him a place in Heaven. He obviously doesn’t know what a place in heaven costs. But many others give for the joy of giving, and that does not simply apply to rich people. Anyone who gives can experience that happiness (the word ‘blessed’ means happy). In our text, Paul declares that this principle comes from the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 14:14) so it must be true. Let us look at some of the reasons why there is more happiness in giving than in receiving.
As we have already noted, the most important reason for giving is that it is in obedience to the words of the Lord Jesus. Surely it should make us happy to obey Him. In addition, by giving in accordance to His command, we display our submission to His lordship. Our pocketbooks are often the last things that we submit to Christ, but we need to remember that divine lordship is not a threat to our financial safety, but the place of our greatest safety. Giving also helps us to be like our Lord, the One Who came to show us by His giving that the heart of God is loving and giving (John 3:16). He is in fact the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
If those are not good enough reasons for giving, here are some more. Giving is an illustration of God’s salvation. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). So whenever we give sacrificially, painfully, for the benefit of others, we are faintly and on a small-scale preaching the Gospel message. Giving also provides a way for us to display our trust in God’s provision. A natural way of thinking is that if I give away too much, I won’t have enough for myself. But if we truly believe that God has promised to provide for us, the natural way of thinking becomes foolishness as we rejoice in God’s provision.
There is another, and very powerful, reason for us to give. We grieve that we so often disappoint our Lord by failing to live up to all that he expects of us. But in giving, we know that we are not only being obedient but are doing that which pleases God, because God loveth a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Does your giving to God and to His purposes give you happiness? If not, maybe you aren’t giving enough. -Jim MacIntosh