THE DISCIPLINE OF GIVING

Week after week our home church Liberty Baptist in Sweetser, Indiana is used of God to help so many people and gospel preaching ministries. Just in the last two weeks weeks LOVE GIFT was taken to a family needing help for funeral expenses of a loved one. LOVE GIFTS were sent to a single father who was in desperate need to take care of a transportation need, to a senior citizen in need of gas so they could  attend church.  Just today checks were to be issued to a missionary who has health issues and another who is in urgent need to bring their church building up to code. These and hundreds of other needs are being met both here and around the world because of loving and caring Christians who have heard the words of their Lord that  " it is more blessed to give than to receive", Acts 20:35.  If we as believers are to be like Jesus it is for certain that the characteristic of giving will need to show up in our lives.  Sometimes the giving will show up in the giving of our talent sometimes in our time and sometimes in our treasure. There will times when we are able to give large gifts and others seemingly small but in reality every time we give it is a HUGE ACT for the receiver and the giver!

For sure our old nature does not like to give and if we gain the discipline of giving in our life it will necessitate a few things to become a part of our lives. Let me mention just a few!

1. It will involve the dying of ourselves. Daily we need to pray that we would be less selfish and more selfless!

2. It will also involve the discipline of planning to give. We will need to sit down and decide where the needs are and what needs we are to meet . 

3. It will involve the discipline of saving some time, talent, and treasure for others. To be ready and able to give when the needs arise will drive us to be good stewards of how we gain and how we spend our assets of life. In order to have resources to give we will need to earn, spend  ( not all ) , and save to be ready to give away some time, talent and treasure. 

4. It will involve leadership of God's Spirit. Much of our giving will be scheduled into our days and weeks. Weekly we are commanded to give to the Lord from our treasure, talents and treasures. But other times the Lord will impress us to give extra to His causes and to others who have particular needs that you can give in time, talent and treasure ways. I have found as I am sure you have that I cannot help in every need that I cross on a daily and even an hourly basis. So I must pray and be led as to who, what  and where am I to give myself away! 

May the Lord impress each of us how we can gain more to give away. How we can spend wiser ( our time, talent, & treasure) so we can give better. How we can EXCEL in this Christlike Characteristic.