What does the Bible say about giving?
Quick thought before you click away from this article. This isn’t some guilt-trip piece about how you should give more money to the church. This is an exploration of what it means to give in the general sense, which could mean giving to the church but also means giving to others like friends, family or even strangers.
God teaches us that giving is good, so we should have open hearts for giving to others. However, Western culture teaches us to take what’s ours and hold on to it. Giving without expectation of return goes against the grain of what it means to live successfully.
What the Bible has to say about giving
“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.”
1 John 3:16-17 (MSG)
“Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship — a different kind of “sacrifice” — that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.”
Hebrews 13:16 (MSG)
Several passages like these in the Bible make it clear that there is a power and goodness in being generous toward others. Perhaps it’s because giving is so difficult that it’s so powerful.
When we give, we show others that our hearts are not in material things. Our hope is not in what we can provide for ourselves. Our comfort isn’t in having more.
Our hope is in the Lord, and our desire is to be more like Him and love and give to others as Jesus did during His time on Earth.
Do you feel like God is teaching you about what it means to give? At Centerpoint Church, we believe in the power of giving to help connect us to the Lord and to benefit the communities around us. If you want to explore more about giving, we’d love to connect with you and join you on your faith journey!