by: Creflo Dollar
I remember a time in my life when I really learned a lesson about the importance of giving. One Christmas, God told me to sow my entire paycheck into the lives of my family members. It was one of the greatest, and most challenging, acts of obedience for me and it led to a breakthrough in my thinking. It ultimately confirmed the truth of God’s Word in regards to sowing seeds and reaping a harvest. It is a lesson every Believer must learn. Cultivating a heart that is willing and obedient where giving is concerned, positions you to receive the abundance of blessings God has promised you in His Word.
I challenge you to evaluate this aspect of your character. Are you a cheerful giver, or do you give with reluctance? The Word says God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Why? Because giving cheerfully demonstrates that your heart is in your giving. It shows you don’t give just out of obligation, but because you love God. This is the kind of giving that gets results.
Understand that God works through relationships. He will bless you through other people. The provision and favor you need will come as a result of God moving through someone else. So anything you possess, such as your time, resources, finances or words of encouragement, you should freely give to others. Sharing your blessings with other people sets you up to receive the same things.
Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” This law of seedtime and harvest governs the Kingdom of God. For this reason, you must not selfishly hoard what you receive. Instead, get in the flow of God’s system so you can constantly be in a position to receive and give back.
Did you know that your simple act of giving has the power to multiply your blessings? You can end up receiving far more than what was given to you. The Bible declares, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:24, 25, NIV). Don’t judge your giving as losing something. When you give, you actually sow an expression of love into another person’s life. God is obligated, by His Word, to return it to you in abundance.
When you give, make sure your heart is willing and obedient, as I stated earlier. This means giving freely and without conditions. “I’ll take you to work and pick you up, only if you pay for gas:” This attitude hinders the manifestation of your blessings when its time for others to give to you. God takes into account every act of sincerity and love. He is looking at whether you always give with strings attached, or if you don’t care if you ever get anything in return. He will judge you according to your deeds and motives.
First John 3:17, 18, in the New International Version declares, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Don’t think that sowing or giving to someone comes only in the form of money. Any seed you sow with a loving, giving heart will reap a harvest. It doesn’t have to be financial. The words you speak, and your actions, are also seeds.
“Whatever a man sows, he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). You will reap a harvest of joy if you sow joy. You will reap a harvest of peace if you sow peace. Love is the key to experiencing fulfillment and satisfaction and should be the motivation behind every seed you sow. When you sow into another’s life, you are, in essence, sowing God into their lives as well.
Working to get your heart right where giving is concerned is a continual process. It involves aligning your motives with the Word and changing your thinking regarding loving others the way God commands. You will be challenged to overcome your flesh, just like I was when God spoke to me to sow my paycheck; however, if you obey His instructions, the return will be more than anything you could imagine.
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