Giving with the Right Heart

November 8, 2023

I Tim. 6:17-19 Teach

those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in

their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who

richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their

money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to

those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this

they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the

future so that they may experience true life. 

This is a very, very important verse. First, who's it talking to? "Teach those who are rich.” Who does

that involve? If you're an American you fall into that category by the

world’s standards. If you live in America, you are in the top 2%

of income of the world. So, this verse is talking to us.  

The question is: Is it possible to

be wealthy and not be materialistic? Yes! It's possible to

be wealthy and not materialistic. Being materialistic is an attitude.

You can be poor and greedy or rich and greedy. You can be poor and

contented or wealthy and contented. It's

an attitude, not the amount that God's talking about here.  

How do you have the attitude God wants

you to have when you give? It starts with your heart. God is a lot more

interested in your willingness to give than your wealth, because he’s

interested in what’s happening in your heart when you decide to give. 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “You

must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give

reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who

gives cheerfully’” (NLT). This verse talks specifically about four key heart attitudes you should have when you give.

Give thoughtfully. Don’t

give impulsively. The most spiritual kind of giving is when you think

about it and pray about it and make up your mind about it. Why? Because

we plan anything that’s important in our lives. God wants your giving to

be important and meaningful in your life.  

Give enthusiastically. Don’t

just say, “I have to give! If I don’t give, God’s going to hit me with

lightning or something.” Give because you know God’s going to do

something big in your heart when you become a generous person. 

Give voluntarily. Any

time you’re pressured by a person to give, don’t give. God’s not going

to bless it anyway. But every time you feel challenged by God to give,

you’d better do it.

Give cheerfully. Give with joy! One of the Greek words for offering is the word “hilarious.” God wants you to enjoy giving to him and to others.

Acts 20:35 "You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

If we know that, that is a mark of maturity. If we don't know that,

it's a mark of immaturity. It's thrilling, as parents, when

our kids grow up to a point that they get more excited about what

they're giving at Christmas than what they're getting. That's

a mark of maturity.

It's true of Christians too. When we

get more excited about what we give away that what we get, that's

a mark of maturity. When God looks down on us and sees us sharing what

He's blessed us with other people who are in need, it blesses His heart.