Bible verses about giving, tithe and offerings
People often become more blessed when they give than when they receive. Bible verses about giving help people understand the importance of giving because most people including Christians do not know the principles of giving well. When you read the Bible with an honest and open heart, you will understand that God is encouraging us to give generously and frequently. In his teachings, Jesus stresses that we should give using money. Most of us do not understand his teachings, but we obey the teachings because we are afraid. Giving is significant in building a good relationship with God and also receive his blessings. Below are Bible verses that can help you understand the reasons associated with giving.
Giving makes us more blessed than when we receive. We become happy when we see how God is glorified through our giving and when we see Him bless other people through our giving. Giving teaches us to find security in God and to depend on Him for all our needs. So you should give with a generous and glad heart because giving does something within us. Giving allows generosity among us to grow and destroys the demon greed.
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How did the early churches give?
The early churches did not just give a mere ten percent, but they gave abundantly out of deep poverty. The churches gave more than what God expected them to give. They gave abundantly because of the love they had for God and knowledge of what he has done for them. The motives of the early churches were astonishing to other people living with them. We should adopt the norms of early churches. God does not force us to give beyond our means, but we need to give generously for what God has done for us. People from the early churches had completely surrendered to Christ which made them give everything.
Giving in the Bible
Sharing a Bible verse about giving inspires people to give generously. The Bible provides us with great nuggets from individuals who lived generous, and attainable lives on a daily basis. In the New Testament, Jesus introduced us to men and women who were strong in their faith. Jesus uses these examples to teach us about the importance of giving.
Scriptures on giving
The scriptures about giving help us understand the benefits associated with giving. Below are Bible quotations on giving and their explanations:
- So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full (Mathew 6:2).
In the above quotation is a scripture on giving where Jesus was talking to his disciples, and he used the word "when" and not "if." This means that the lord requires and expects us to give. Therefore, when it comes to giving we do not have an option, but it is essential. In the old testament, Christians had to give, but in the new testament people give if they want to. This habit is not in line with Jesus' teaching. He wanted all his follower to be frequent and generous givers.
- On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come, no collections will have to be made (Corinthians 16:2).
The above Bible verse about giving teaches us that giving is a form of worship. Paul explains to Christians that the act of giving is an act of worship and he encourages them to give regularly to symbolize Lord's day worship. When individuals put their money in the plate, they are worshiping God in accordance with His word. In the quotation, Paul is talking about the "collection for the saints" which means giving by the church to the church for the church.
- For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
This quotation teaches us that our giving should be performed in the light of the incarnation. Some people believe that the (10% of our income) is standard when it comes to giving to the church. Paul used the quotation to explain to the people that there is no standard of giving. He suggested that we should determine our standard of giving using Christ's self-giving. Therefore, our giving should be instructed and inspired by Christ's inexpressible gift.
- Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6)
The verse teaches us that the liberty of the God’s blessings received by us is directly proportional to our giving. We have seen that both Jesus and Paul believed that there is a relationship between Lord's giving to us and our giving. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:4 that whatever you do to others, God will do it to you. This means that our reward associated with giving comes from God. Therefore, the means and desire to be generous comes from God. God has given us much, so we should give much.
- Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
The primary reason why people do not give is as a result of fear. They fear that if they give out too much, they will not have enough to cater for their needs. When people give sacrificially, above what is easy and comfortable, they are expressing their faith and trust in God to provide for them and their families. Many people know that joy results from casting crumbs of bread upon the waters and then multiple loaves of bread return after some days.
- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
The above Bible quote teaches us that giving exhibits God’s heart. The scripture says that God is the giver of every perfect and good gift. Because we are God’s image –bearers we should copy his giving to us. In other words, we should be mini-pictures of his infinitely large heart. The wider our hands and the larger our hearts, the larger the picture we paint concerning God's character.
- Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap (Luke 6:38).
In this verse, Jesus is telling us that we should give so that it will be given to us. He means that the measure you use while will be the measure that God will use while giving to you. The passage is informing us about hypocrisy and how Christians use measures while giving. Give to God sacrificially because he may give you back plus ten times.
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Benefits of giving in the Bible
Giving and happiness have a close relationship. According to Paul in the Bible, God loves people who are cheerful givers. Paul was referring to Christians who made huge donations to help the poor in the society. In 2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:7, Paul was talking about how people were happy because they were able to give. Studies conducted by scientists supported the verse as they showed that giving money to someone else, lifted the happiness of the giver more than when they spend it on themselves.
Giving is good for our health. The Bible states that a kind man benefits himself, but a person who is cruel brings trouble on himself (Proverbs 11:17). This means that kind individuals are generous and are willing to give themselves their energy, time, and care. The approach benefits them in many ways. You should, therefore, understand that generosity is good for your health. Scientific studies have supported this because they have discovered that those who have volunteered have fewer cases of aches, pains and depression.
There are so many benefits associated with giving. The Bible verses about giving help us understand the importance of giving to God and us as Christians. Jesus teaches that we should not use measures when giving our tithe and offerings because God will use the same measures to give back. Giving helps us to build a good relationship with God. Giving is a form of worship, so we should frequently give to show our commitment to worshiping God. When you give, you will feel happy unlike when you spend the money on yourself. Giving is also good for your health.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
