WHY SHOULD I GIVE?

There  are 3  major questions  we  shall  discuss when dealing  with  this  issue of giving.  These  are  why should  we give, where should  we give,  how should  we give. In this lesson let us deal with why we should give.

THE POWER OF A GIFT

The  story  of the Queen of Sheba in  the  book of  1Kings10  is a classic lesson  in  the power that is contained in  a gift  and  why  we should all  be great givers.  Let  us  use it  to  discuss the 3  questions  we are  dealing  with concerning  why  we should give, where we  should  give,  and  how we  should  give.

1Kings10
1  Now  when  the queen  of  Sheba  heard  of the fame of Solomon  concerning  the name of  the LORD,  she came to  test him with  hard  questions. 2  She came to Jerusalem with  a  very  great retinue,  with  camels that  bore spices, very  much gold,  and precious stones; and  when  she came to  Solomon, she spoke with  him about  all that  was in  her heart. 3  So  Solomon answered all her questions; there  was  nothing so  difficult for the  king  that he could not explain  it  to  her.

a)  Because your giving determines your receiving

“Give, and  it will  be given to  you: good  measure, pressed  down,  shaken together, and running over  will be put  into  your  bosom.  For with  the same measure that you use, it will be measured  back to you.” Lk6:38

God  has designed principles by  which His  kingdom  operates.  All  these  principles are only  effective when operated  in  faith,  righteousness and  love. Giving  is one  such principle.  Giving  in  faith  and  love  is the way  that God  has ordained for  us  to  partake of  His abundance and  His  prosperity.  

We  were  made in  such a way  that  we cannot receive from  God  beyond  our ability  to  give.  God  asks us to give so  that we can also  receive.  As  we discussed in  the previous  lesson,  the same  heart that gives is also the same  heart  that receives.  Your  capacity  to  give determines your  capacity  to  receive.

We don’t give  to  God  because we have to  give  or because He  needs our  money.  We give  to  God  because we need  His  abundance and  prosperity.   Giving  is the key  to  receiving.  It is stupid  not to give!  

13  And king Solomon gave unto  the queen  of  Sheba  all  her desire, whatsoever she  asked,  beside that which Solomon  gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned  and went  to  her own  country, she and  her servants.

The Queen  of  Sheba did  not come  for Solomon’s wealth.  She wanted  his wisdom. However  she carried him  a big  gift. This impressed Solomon  so  much  that  he gave her whatever she wanted  plus a lot  more wealth  than she had  given him.  There  was no  way  Solomon  was  going  to  let her  out  give him.  He  gave to her  so  much  more than she had  given to him.

When the Queen  of  Sheba gave to  Solomon, she set herself up  to  receive from  him. It would have been shameful  for Solomon  not  to  give her  anything. It is  the honor of  a  king  to  give to  others. Great kings are always great givers and  God  is the King  of  Kings.  He is the biggest giver of all.   You  cannot  give to  God  and  He doesn’t  give to you.  In  fact God  set us up  to  receive from  Him  by encouraging us to  give to Him  (to  sow seed). He knows if we give  we shall  receive.   This doesn’t  mean however that our  giving  (sowing)  MAKES  God  give to  us.  God  has already  given us everything  we need  in  Jesus. But it’s all  spiritual not  physical.    
“Praise the God  and Father of our  Lord Jesus Christ!  Through Christ,  God  has blessed  us  with  every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.” Eph1:3 GW.  
So  He set up  a law (principle)  that enables us to  manifest these  blessings physically. He tells  us  to  give. This is  what Jesus told  us;

“Give, and  it will be given to  you: good  measure, pressed  down,  shaken together, and  running over will be put into  your bosom. For  with  the  same measure that  you  use,  it will be measured  back to  you."  Lk6:38  NKJV

The Queen  of  Sheba brought Solomon  a very  big gift.  She probably  had  an  entourage of more than 100 camels. However when it was his turn  to  give, Solomon  gave her  of his royal  bounty,  his abundance. Her gift was limited to  her  prosperity,  wealth  and  kingdom, His  was  unlimited,  he was  the wealthiest man in the world.   Her  abundance  (bounty)  was like a tea cup,  his abundance (bounty)  was  like a large tank. There was  no comparison.  She probably went  back with  10  times  more than she came  with. SHE WAS WEALTHIER AFTER  SHE  GAVE THAN BEFORE  SHE  GAVE.    

God  is not  limited  to  our  banks,  our  wallets, our  parents, our  bosses or even our  country. His wealth is unlimited,  and  He gives us according  to  His bounty  not ours.  Paul  said this to  the  Philippian  Christians that had been  supporting  him  and  giving  to  him “But my God  shall supply all your  need ACCORDING TO HIS  RICHES  IN GLORY  by Christ Jesus. Now unto  God and  our  Father be glory for ever and  ever. Amen.”  Phil4:19.  

As  we give we receive grace to  increase  and  prosper so  that we can give more

b)  How much  you give determines how  much you receive

10  Then she  gave the king one hundred  and  twenty talents of gold, spices  in  great quantity, and precious stones. There  never again came such  abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to  King Solomon

The Queen  of  Sheba brought  a big  gift  and  she got a big  harvest. God  does not determine how  much  we harvest, we do.  If  a farmer  plants  a  few seeds they  will  harvest a little.  If a farmer plants  much  they  will harvest  much.   What would  you  think  of  a  farmer  who  planted  only  10  seeds  on  10 acres of  land?  Do  you  think  they would  harvest  bountifully?  Of course not, you would  think  they  are stupid!

And  yet that is  what  many  of  us do.  We  give the smallest amount  we can get by  with  and  yet  expect to receive very  large harvests.  We  give pocket  change but think we  can  receive life  changing  abundance. This  is unrealistic.  If  you  give 1% of your income, do  not expect that you  will  receive an  increase  in  your income worth  1000%.  You  simply  don’t  have the heart  to  receive  such  a big  harvest if you give  such a small percentage. 

Remember  the principle  Jesus  taught  in  Luke6:38, the measure  you use to  give is the measure you  use to  receive.  Your  capacity to  give is  your  capacity  to  receive.

Regardless  of  what the preacher  tells you or how much you confess  the Word, if  you  are a small giver  you will also  be a small receiver.  There  is no way  around  this.    

Listen  to  2corinthians9:6 “Remember this: The farmer  who  plants  a  few seeds  will  have a very small harvest. But the farmer  who plants because he has  received God's blessings will  receive a  harvest of God's blessings  in  return.”  GW  

“My point is  this: The person  who  sows  sparingly will  also  reap  sparingly, and the person  who  sows generously will also  reap  generously.” NET.  

God  multiplies what  you  sow.  If  you sow  little then that is all  He has to  multiply. 

8  And  God  is  able to  make all  grace abound  toward  you, that you,  always having  all sufficiency in  all things,  may have an  abundance for every good  work. 9  As it  is written: "  He has dispersed abroad, He has  given to  the poor;  His righteousness endures forever." 10  Now may  He who  supplies seed  to  the sower, and  bread  for food, supply  and multiply the  seed  you have sown  and  increase the fruits of your  righteousness, 11  while you  are enriched  in  everything  for  all liberality, which  causes thanksgiving  through us to  God.

However  you should note that in  determining  how  much  to  give we are not  talking  about  amounts but  percentages.  
The  issue is not  the amount  of money  you  are giving.  It  is the percentage that matters.  It  is why  He asked for a tithe in  the Old  Covenant.  A  tithe is 10%.  He  did not ask  for a  specific amount because we all have varying resources and finances.

Jesus  demonstrated this one day  when  He taught  in  the temple;

Mark12
41  Now  Jesus  sat  opposite the treasury and  saw how  the people put money into  the treasury.  And  many who  were rich  put  in  much.  42  Then  one  poor widow came and  threw in  two  mites, which  make a quadrans.  43  So  He called His  disciples  to  Himself and  said  to them, "Assuredly, I  say to  you that  this poor  widow has  put in more than  all those who  have given to  the treasury;  44  for  they all  put  in  out  of their abundance, but  she out of her poverty put in  all  that she had,  her whole livelihood."

The  rich  people  gave a lot of money.  But  it was very  little compared  to  what they  had.  It  was  a small percentage.  They  had  much  more left. The  poor  widow on  the other hand  gave  only  two  mites.  But  Jesus said  she had given  more than  all of them.  Why?  Because  those two  mites were all that she had.  She  gave 100%.  She  gave everything.
It  is not  the amount  that  matters.  It  is the percentage.  

c)  Giving  opens doors for us  to  receive  the wisdom of God  through the Word

The Queen  of  Sheba understood  the principal of seed/gift.  What she really  wanted  from  Solomon  was his wisdom.  She  wanted  to  hear the words that came  from  his mouth.  Why  then did  she carry  all those gifts to him?

“A  gift opens doors for the  one who  gives it and  brings  him into  the  presence of  great people.” Prov18:16.GW

She used  the  gifts to  make  room  for her before Solomon.  Solomon  was a highly  sought after  man.  She wasn’t the only  one that  wanted  to  see him.  The  bible says that  kings from  all over  the world  always came to  see him. “So  king  Solomon  exceeded  all the kings of  the earth  for riches and  for wisdom.   And  all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.” 1King10:23-24.

How  would  she access  him  quickly?  She carried  him  a big  gift  (seed). Giving  opens for us a way  to  receive the Word  of God.  The  people that  preach  and  teach the Word  are sustained by  the people that give to  them.  If  no  one gave to  preachers they  would stop  the ministry  and go and  get jobs or start businesses to  sustain  their families.

When  we give,  we help  to  provide for the needs  of  the people that give us the Word  and  wisdom  of God so  that they  can concentrate on  teaching  the Word  and so  that they  can  continue to feed  us  with  God’s wisdom.  We  shall  discuss this more in  the next question.

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