A Few Things

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48 NKJ)

Prosperity thinking has lost something in its translation. We are to ask for more to do more. We are given more to do more in the name of God. And, we are to do more for Him because He has given us much—grace, love, and mercy.

Our giving is not a question of ownership or personal impetus—it’s always about God and His purpose. The second we lay claim to any act of giving, we relinquish the “well done.” Why should God give us props, if we’re going to give them to ourselves?

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven … That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6: 1-4, KJV)

When we give in the name of Christ and as led by the Holy Spirit there are no regrets. Just as “the gifts and callings of the Lord are without repentance,” so is giving inspired by Him. We never have to say (or should say), “After all I’ve done for you,” because we are not the owners—we are merely the stewards. We are merely allocating as directed by the owner—God. We cannot take credit for the giving and we cannot regret giving under those circumstances.

When we give in the name of Christ, the gift will bear fruit. The world calls it “paying forward” or “reciprocity” and the Word says it’s “multiplying talents.” Giving inspired and directed by God is purposeful. Feeding, clothing, befriending, and caring for “the least of these” serves the function of filling needs that enable others to live out their purposes on Earth.

Another extraordinary aspect of Christ-centered giving involves creativity. There are myriad needs to be fulfilled—an inexhaustible list—and there are myriad ways to fill them. For example, a church group knits scarves year-round for the homeless; an auto mechanic donates his services to widows, single moms, and elderly women and a relative takes out the trash for an infirmed neighbor.