"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
Have you ever thought about why you do what you do? Are you acting on a principle and doing something because it is good and right to do, or are you just following a practice and doing something as a ritual or because you think you are supposed to do it? One person focuses on the outcome of what they are doing while the other is doing something because what they are doing is the right thing to do. It is always good to do the right thing, but if you understand why you are doing it then it is even better.
The Bible talks about giving and receiving, sowing and reaping, seed-time and harvest. It is true, as Luke 6:38 and other verses tell us, that if we give we will receive. No farmer would go out to sow seed and never expect a harvest. But if the harvest is the only thing in mind when seeds are being planted problems can occur. Without the proper focus during the planting the harvest can be much less than it should be. Is the seed being planted and cared for properly? What type of ground is the seed being planted in and is it the right time to plant?
If we only give with the benefit in mind, we are not really giving in faith expecting God to bless us, we are just giving to get and expecting that our own works will reward us. Why and how we give is just as important as the giving itself is. We give to our church, other people, ministries, and missionaries because it is the right thing to do, and because God has directed us to give in His Word and by the Spirit, not just because of some benefit we may receive. Give with the right motives, expecting God to take care of you, and you will reap a harvest.
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
Have you ever thought about why you do what you do? Are you acting on a principle and doing something because it is good and right to do, or are you just following a practice and doing something as a ritual or because you think you are supposed to do it? One person focuses on the outcome of what they are doing while the other is doing something because what they are doing is the right thing to do. It is always good to do the right thing, but if you understand why you are doing it then it is even better.
The Bible talks about giving and receiving, sowing and reaping, seed-time and harvest. It is true, as Luke 6:38 and other verses tell us, that if we give we will receive. No farmer would go out to sow seed and never expect a harvest. But if the harvest is the only thing in mind when seeds are being planted problems can occur. Without the proper focus during the planting the harvest can be much less than it should be. Is the seed being planted and cared for properly? What type of ground is the seed being planted in and is it the right time to plant?
If we only give with the benefit in mind, we are not really giving in faith expecting God to bless us, we are just giving to get and expecting that our own works will reward us. Why and how we give is just as important as the giving itself is. We give to our church, other people, ministries, and missionaries because it is the right thing to do, and because God has directed us to give in His Word and by the Spirit, not just because of some benefit we may receive. Give with the right motives, expecting God to take care of you, and you will reap a harvest.
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