The Blessing in Giving
“The Blessing in Giving”
by Pastor Andrew Malek
December 1, 2019
‘In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Acts 20:35, NIV
As we read a scripture like this, the words jump off the page: Jesus tells us himself that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Yet, it is our natural inclination to enjoy receiving more than giving. Often when we give, we expect to be blessed for it, but sometimes the blessing doesn’t look how we think it should look.
In Acts 20:22, we see that Paul is giving without the expectation of blessing. Paul is willing to give everything despite what he was about to face: prison, trial, and hardship. His life means nothing to him outside of the purposes of God.
From Paul’s attitude about giving, we can gain insight into what it means to be blessed in our giving.
Focus on the Giver: We need to move our focus from the giving to the giver. Paul was giving from a place of experienced grace. He realized that he was only giving because he had been given to. Our giving should be based on our experience of grace. We have everything we need to do all that God has called us to do. When we tap into ourselves as our resource instead of God’s grace, we fall short. (John 1:16, TPT)
Give What We’ve Been Given: Our generosity comes from God’s grace and our focus needs to rest on that grace. If we base our giving on the fruits of our faith, on the evidence or behavior, it is based on us. But the fruit comes from the source, the tree itself, and not from the branches. We must reattach ourselves to the giver of all good things and see everything through the lens of who he is.
Watch God Bless It: The blessing is the purpose, and the resources are given to do what is in front of us. Whether time or money, there will be different gifts of grace in different seasons. Don’t focus on what we don’t have, or what he hasn’t given, but on what we do have. Give what God has provided in the first place. When we do, and we trust God with it, he promises to bless it, “for it is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35).
Paul didn’t have a lot to give, but what he did have to give, he gave. Chicago needs a community that gives from what it has already been given, and is willing to pass it on to others.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
Think of a time when you were afraid to be generous because you were worried about God’s provision.
Think of a time when you trusted because you were aware of God’s grace.
Why is it important to focus on the giver as our source, and not on our giving?
Define a purpose in your life that you’ve been made aware of. What steps can you take to move into that calling?