The Bible teaches us a lot about giving. Here are some of the things it tells us: 1) You should give whenever God nudges you to. It’s easy for us to avoid giving by saying, ‘If I get more, I’ll give more.’ Anyone can give when they won’t miss the thing they’re sharing, but God sometimes calls us to give sacrificially, having faith that He’ll meet our needs. So what we should say is, ‘Father, You’re asking me to give, so I’m going to trust You.’ 2) You often get back more than you give. ‘He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness’ (v.10 NIV). We normally think of the ‘seed’ as being money, but it could also apply to other resources we have, or even God’s Word. Some of the things God gives us are to be used for our own needs, and some are to create ‘a harvest of righteousness’. What does that mean? Paul explains: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever’ (v.9 NIV). In other words, we must show compassion towards those who are hurting and give generously to those who are unable to provide for themselves. The Bible says that when we give to those who are lacking something, we’re actually lending to God, and He will repay us (see Proverbs 19:17). Jesus said: ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you’ (Luke 6:38 NIV).
