God's finances-Part 2: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

  BY Argie Simonis

The Lord's teaching on finances and especially on offering and tithes is one of the least popular topics among Christians, while it should be at the top of our priorities. Our Lord says it clearly:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" Luke 16:10-11

This message is the second part of the series "God's finances." In the previous post (Part 1) I dealt with three fundamental principles:

- If I can not trust the Lord with my finances how will I trust Him with my life?

- God is my source

- I am not the owner of what I have, but the stewart of what the Lord has entrusted to me, in order to secure His covenant and bless me for others.

"For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?" 1Cor. 4:7

My wife and I have been applying these principles for years and I would like to share with you the revelations that the Lord has given us on the subject of finances. Let's see what Paul tells us here:

"Now he that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" 2Cor. 9:10

Here the apostle Paul speaks metaphorically to show us that the Lord supplies abundantly the people who give and covers the basic needs for food. The eater is therefore the one who uses his finances mainly to meet his individual needs, while the sower is the one who uses his finances mainly to give to others. This has to do with a heart attitude.

Those who want more money to be able to get more things, in the eyes of the Lord are eaters. Those who want more money to be able to give more are sowers. Which category do you want to belong to?

Of course sowers must be eat too. So as you trust in the Lord, there will always be much for you. Those who seek only to meet their needs, the Lord will supply up to there: To meet their needs.

They will not have the abundance and the prosperity that comes with being a sower. The Lord gets glory through our prosperity and not through our poverty:

"You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16

This answers many questions. Those who are focused only on what they need, God does not give them this abundance. Do you know why; They would spend them only for themselves. Just two verses before the verse we are studying, Paul said:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2Cor. 9:8

Notice that the reason God does grace to abound in you is that you can abound in every good work. Prosperity is not for you. It is so that you can bless others, and in the eyes of the Lord rich  is not he who has much, but he who can give much!

Many people believe that prosperity has to do with greed, and that is why they oppose it. Paul writes to Timothy:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1Τim. 6:10

Money is not the problem, but the love of money is. It all has to do with a heart attitude.

True Biblical prosperity is being able to be a blessing to others. The "I have enough. I would never ask for more" attitude may seem humble, but it is purely selfish. This is the attitude of an eater and not a sower.

According to 2 Corinthians 9:10 we read earlier, the conclusion is that if you do not have seed (money), then you do not sow as you should. God ensures that the sowers have plenty of money for every good work.

I'm sure if there was a survey with the question "What is the reason you work?" most would answer that we work to be able to pay our bills and meet our needs.

Look at what Paul says to the Ephesians:

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needs." Εph. 4:28

The Word of God tells us here that the purpose of our work is to be able to bless others! Do you see how spiritual principles work? Heaven operates completely differently from the world.

In case you are wondering: "Well, what about me? How can I be blessed too?"

And of course the Lord wants you to be blessed too, but the way to blessing is to trust the Lord, and ask Him to make you a blessing for others.

"You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts." James 4:3

"But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." Μat. 6:33

God knows our needs better than we do. When we trust the Lord's promises that are "Yes and Amen" and pray how we can be a blessing to others, the Lord Himself becomes involved in our finances and covers our every need abundantly. God will take care of you much better than you can take care of yourself.

This is a great truth: The biggest obstacle to our prosperity is that we focus more on how we eat and not on how we sow. We become like the dam that blocks the flow of the river instead of letting it flow with full force.

The same God who promised eternal life when you confess Jesus as your Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9), also said: "Give.and it will be given to you." 

"I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you 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." Acts 20:35

So why did Jesus say that it is better to give than to receive?

You know that when God asks us to do something, it is not because we need something, but because it is good for us. The Lord does not need our money or our services:

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of you, and of your own have we given you." 

For we are strangers before you, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you an house for your holy name comes of your hand, and is all your own." 1Chron. 29:14-16

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, even your God.

I will not reprove you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he goats out of your folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the most High:" Psalm 50:7-14

Begin to trust the Lord with your finances, ask Him to teach you not only to look at your own needs, but to start sowing where He shows you. This will change your life and rivers of blessing will flow through you.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19

I hope you were blessed with this message. There will be a 3rd part where we will focus more on the practical applications of everything we have said so far ...