San Diego Biblical Studies Fellowship

A simple act that I did the other day made me feel good the whole day! What I did was buy a cinnamon bun for the carpet cleaner. He was not expecting it, and I only thought about it while I was enjoying one myself. He was blessed and so was I for giving it to him.

What is it the makes us feel so good about giving, or helping others? There is something in the nature of man regardless of his culture or beliefs that when he gives it makes him feel good on the inside.

God created man and he created the nature of man.  He obviously loves to give. God is all about giving. Where does it say, “God so loved that He took?” Within the Heavenly Father is a certain nature that causes Him to give unconditionally and with great abundance.

The Art of True Giving

The art of true giving has a beginning that starts with a motivation, and an ending, that reflects the act of it. In the middle is giving. At the beginning of true giving is love. It is the motivation which starts the action of giving. At the end, the result is that a person is thankful.

All true giving should be motivated by love and needs to have a purpose, with an intended result. In other words, if giving is motivated by love with a Godly purpose, the results will be thanksgiving by others.

We are talking about true giving. Man’s giving is motivated many times by wanting something in return. But the art of true giving originated by God is motivated first and foremost by love. The results will be thanksgiving by others.

True Giving is Free to the Receiver

God is so gracious and loving that He gives with no payments required. God’s greatest gift was free to us, but it cost Him the torture and death of His only begotten son.

John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 8:32:
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The truth of God’s Word is that God, “freely gives us all things.” It is too good to be true (a worldly statement). As a result of God’s giving to us we have so much that the list would take many pages to document. To mention a couple we have:

Romans 3:24:
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 5:15b:
… much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Exercising the Art of True Giving

The most awesome compliment a father can receive is that his children would emulate him. Our Heavenly Father desires for us, His born again children, to imitate Him.

Ephesians 5:1&2:
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

We do not have to sacrifice ourselves to truly give. But because we have freely received we should freely give (Matthew 10:8). Our focus does not need to be on ourselves. God has taken care of us. Our focus should be on helping others. Solomon exhibited this before God.

I King 3:9:
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

If you remember the story God gave him great wisdom as well as blessed him with tremendous riches.

A dynamic section of Scripture declaring the importance of leadership service is when Paul was visiting in Ephesus and called for all the fellowship coordinators to meet.

Acts 20:35:
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

To have a fulfilling life as a son of God we will want to become givers. And no matter what kind of givers we are it is also important that we become cheerful givers, because this is what God desires.

II Corinthians 9:6-8:
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

The art of true giving is one that each and every born again one should want to perfect in their lives. It makes for the most fulfilling life a person could ever live.

As someone once said, “You measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.” Some of these would include, eternal life, new birth spirit, fellowship with God, fellowship with likeminded believers, to name a few.

What a joy and privilege it is to learn and practice the true art of giving!

-     Bob Lindfelt

Yesterday is history Tomorrow is a mystery Today is a gift That is why we can call it “The Present” Let us join together in praise to the One who so loved the world that He gave us His Son! Happy Holidays to everyone!

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