The Joy of Giving

Giving is the opposite of receiving or getting. Giving involves parting with something. Sometimes, it involves selflessness, sacrifice and service. In the Old Trstament times, the Jews gave to God through series of established systems of sacrifices and offerings. But giving should be of free will.

God Himself is the giver of all good things. He gave His only begotten son (John 3:16). Christ have his life for the sin which he did not commit. These are examples of supreme acts of giving. God continually gives us His blessings. He does not discriminate. He gives to both the good and the bad.

Giving involves love, 'For God so loved the world that He gave....' God requires us to give cheerfully to Him as a sign of gratitude for what He has done for us, and to our fellow being as a sign of sharing. God wants us to give ourselves in service to Him.

Even though what we give is important, what is more important is the spirit or motive behind it. The story of the widow's mite illustrates this extensively. Christ taught his followers that, 'When you give, don't show off with it'

Matthew 6:1-4:

Προσέχετε δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς; εἰ δὲ μή¦γε μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Ὅταv οὖν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖ συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις, ὅπως δοξασθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖv, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. σοῦ δὲ ποιοῦντος ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ γνώτω ἡ ἀριστερά σου τί ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιά σου, ὅπως ᾖ σου ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ; καὶ ὁ Πατήρ σου, ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ, ἀποδώσει σοι.

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English version reads;

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

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What you give can come under four main headings: (I) Your material goods (ii) Your time (iii) Your talent(s) (iv) Your life. Giving is important because God commanded all His followers to give. It is important because God blessed it and it is one of the ways by which we show to the world that we are children of God. There are rewards for giving including joy to the giver and receiver and also God's blessings on the giver.

My counsel to all Steemians to give as we have received and as we do we shall be blessed. Amen

Have a nice day ahead.

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