If you missed Part 1 of this blog, please go back and read it as
a background for my continuing response to the issue of tithing versus
financial losses we sometimes incur.
I believe we should give generously and cheerfully. I believe we should give not because we have to, but because we love Christ! Attitude when we give is always more important than the amount we give. Obedience always follows love! Simply stated, I believe that God honors giving. He gives us resources to use and invest for Him. Paul uses the illustration of seeds to explain that the resources God gives us are not to be hidden, foolishly devoured or thrown away, but cultivated in order to produce more crops. When we invest what God has given us in His work, He will provide us with even more to give. We all understand that we won't reap if we don't sow. If we plow and don't plant, we won't reap!
However, along with finances, Paul emphasizes spiritual rewards for those who give generously to God's work. We should not expect to become wealthy through giving. Those who receive our gifts will be helped, will praise God, and will pray for us. As we bless others, we are blessed!
Now, back to the foreclosure and unemployment. How do we incorporate these realities into the before-mentioned verses of Scripture? I believe that giving to God does place a protective bond around our lives. However, we live in a world where inequities abound. Many things that happen to us in life are unfair. The important thing, and I believe the overriding principle for believers to remember, is that giving to God assures that we will not be "devoured."
People of all ages, races and descriptions suffer loss of properties and things every day. But God still causes them to triumph! Obviously, losing a house or a job is a very heart-rending, difficult thing. However, there are worse things that can happen to a believer. During times of loss, I believe we have to look to God for a deeper interpretation of the facts, and for His grace, which sustains us even in the darkest of times.
I believe we should give generously and cheerfully. I believe we should give not because we have to, but because we love Christ! Attitude when we give is always more important than the amount we give. Obedience always follows love! Simply stated, I believe that God honors giving. He gives us resources to use and invest for Him. Paul uses the illustration of seeds to explain that the resources God gives us are not to be hidden, foolishly devoured or thrown away, but cultivated in order to produce more crops. When we invest what God has given us in His work, He will provide us with even more to give. We all understand that we won't reap if we don't sow. If we plow and don't plant, we won't reap!
However, along with finances, Paul emphasizes spiritual rewards for those who give generously to God's work. We should not expect to become wealthy through giving. Those who receive our gifts will be helped, will praise God, and will pray for us. As we bless others, we are blessed!
Now, back to the foreclosure and unemployment. How do we incorporate these realities into the before-mentioned verses of Scripture? I believe that giving to God does place a protective bond around our lives. However, we live in a world where inequities abound. Many things that happen to us in life are unfair. The important thing, and I believe the overriding principle for believers to remember, is that giving to God assures that we will not be "devoured."
People of all ages, races and descriptions suffer loss of properties and things every day. But God still causes them to triumph! Obviously, losing a house or a job is a very heart-rending, difficult thing. However, there are worse things that can happen to a believer. During times of loss, I believe we have to look to God for a deeper interpretation of the facts, and for His grace, which sustains us even in the darkest of times.
If we compare our plight to other believers, we may very well
become discouraged and bitter. Asking "why" during times of
loss is perfectly okay; however, dwelling on the apparent inequity may cause us
to stumble in our faith. I believe in the sovereignty of God, which says
to me, that no matter what may happen in my life, Jesus is still Lord and He
will provide a way of escape.
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