Commitment to Christ - Financial Giving

:: 33 :: “Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21)

Jesus tells us that we should should put our resources toward those things that are eternal. While we should be wise in how we steward our finances today, our ultimate hope is in God.

The hope of Christians is that this life is not all there is, that there is something better, there is something beyond this life, where we will one day be raised with Christ, clothed in immortality.

So, invest in the eternal. Be a good steward of your life, and take the material resources that God gives you and use them in service of Christ. As it is written in Colossians 3, “Set your heart on things above.” When you do so, financial generosity will be a natural outcome, for we worship a God who is generous. If you struggle with the discipline of giving, think deeply concerning how much God in Christ has given for you. God’s action in Christ should melt and open up your heart.

Gracious God, may my financial gifts be given with joy as a blessing to you and to my neighbor that is in need. Amen.

::34::  Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

How deeply have you come to know and appreciate the love of Christ? If you haven’t yet seen God as the most magnificent, benevolent, and gracious being in the cosmos, keep looking. The more fully you come to grasp God as revealed in Christ, the more you will grow in your desire to live a generous life. You will find “whatever [you] have decided to give in [your] heart” begin to change.  You will grow to be a generous person, for we worship a generous God.

This kind of transformation, if it takes hold in your life and in your church, will have manifold results. What would be said of your church in your town if your generosity became widely known? What if your church were made up of “cheerful givers” who gave freely and with concern for the poor? What if your church gladly served the needs of many, and constantly sought to bless others without any expectation of return?

You see, giving is not simply a matter of obedience, but a matter of witness. It is an act of love for both God and neighbor. It is an evidence of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

Lord, help me to be generous with my finances. Help me to give to those that are in need. Amen.