Make Your Giving Count

(Source: www.orble.com)

Giving... Giving... Giving... A term many Christians might deliberately avoid. Pretend to not hear it in the sermon, pretend to not see a person in need. What if, one day God just take whatever you have and no one helped you when you are in need? That could be just the end of the world for you.

So, let's learn to give, and not just giving, but giving out of our heart. Yes, some might develop a habit to give, unwillingly. But let's change it. Learn to give willingly. There is no need to worry, about what would you have left after you give. Because God is definitely good to a giver.

For years, I've been living on one principle of giving: "Give me God, then I'll give to someone else."

But seems like God's principle is total opposite: "Give, and I will give to you."

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed. and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." - 2 Corinthians 9 : 10 - 11

See the verse? There is no need to worry about supply-shortage. In fact, when we give; God will supply us, increase what we have and enlarge our territory. The best part is, we are giving thanks to God at the same time.

Let's make our giving count! Give with a willing heart, and take the worrying part away.

Genuine Love

Don't just pretend to love other. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. - Romans 12 : 9 -10

(Source: www.stephenbmw320i.blogspot.com)

Paul told us clearly in this verse, no pretending when you love someone. Genuine affection is how he put it. Sometimes we are just so caught up with being good to this person, to that person. Somehow, it has become a 'must do', and actually, we are just doing it out of familiarity.

And love can be shown merely through words. But true love requires action. An action that is powered by genuine affection. What is a genuine affection?

It's more than a simple "How are you?", "I like you", "I love you". While no action is shown, no genuine love is felt. It's more than helping each other; without a sincere heart, no genuine love is shown. Therefore, it is an action with sincerity, giving all that you have.

Start from people around you, began showing them a genuine affection, cares for them, honors them.

It's More Than Enough

The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (John 6 : 1 - 14) is a must told story in a almost every Sunday Schools. Of how a young boy gave up his lunch, knowing that no matter how small it was, it could make a difference. Of how the 5,000 ate and there were 12 basket full of leftovers. It's just amazing hearing this story over and over again.

As we grow older, when we are face with problems; we suddenly forgot that if Jesus can feed the 5,000 and had leftover, what can't He gives us then? Or are we like the 5,000 that wait for Jesus and do nothing but wait?

Remember, there must be an initial offering. Imagine the young boy said the himself: "I only have 5 loaves and 2 fishes, it can't do nothing. I'm not giving it to Jesus." OR "This is just enough for me, how could I share with them. I will starve!". Then the 5,000 would have starved to dead right there. How would the Bible turned out? God is cruel perhaps?

But hang on, that didn't happen! That young boy gave his lunch to Jesus, Jesus performed miracle, 5,000 were feed and there are leftovers. A happy ending!

When we give our best to God, no matter how small it is; we will receive more than enough. God will never shortchanged, He is a giver and when He gives, it is always more than enough.

Small Gesture Big Impact

(Source: www.nasyidmadany.wordpress.com)

Sometimes even a slightest smile, a helpful hand and a good ear brings big impact to others lives. You don't necessarily need to have the ability to do great things, ability to speak and thousand get saved, ability to perform miracles or anything.

Trusts me in this, you are the great thing God created, testimonial for thousand to see, and a miracle itself.

Therefore, live your life well. Make a big impact to your society, through every small gestures you make. You will never know how much that would mean to somebody in need.

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. - Proverbs 11 : 24

This verse is somehow reversed from what we were taught. Don't give! Don't give! Don't give! But the Bible says give freely! Now that's just how wonderful God's promises are. Give and receive!

But it isn't only limited to just monetary giving, it goes all the way to how you treat others. How willing you are in helping others. When someone need help moving stuffs, are you the "lend a hand" or "I don't care" type of person?

Okay, let's start from the easiest, A SMILE. A smile to someone might change their entire day. Imagine someone is feeling down and rugged, but when he / she saw you smiling to them, imagine the impact you could have, they will go through the day with a bit of encouragement. Better than none, and that's a person powerful smile. Imagine a bunch!

Open up a door for someone, lift somebody luggage for them. These are the small gestures I'm talking about. You could have save someone who have a terrible back pain, well you never know.

When people start sharing to you, most of the time, they don't need solution. They just need a listening ear. So, listen!

So now, are you ready to make a big impact with your small gesture?

The Salty Salt

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost it's flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." - Matthew 5 : 13

I believe this verse is of no stranger to a lot of Christians. What does it truly means? Let's learn together today.

Few characteristics of salt:
1. Adds flavor
Without salt in the food, the food will taste bland. Even I wouldn't want to eat food that have no tastes at all. I would just get myself any sauce, seasoning to make the food tasty. And salt will be the most useful of all.
Surely, a Christian's presence must be yearned by others. Without him / her, people will just feel there's something lacking around them. Don't be a Christian that doesn't impact others, by living a "tasteless" life.

2. Acts as preservatives
Salt can be used to preserve meats, preventing it to rots or go bad.
A Christian must be the one who preserves everything that is good. Such as value of this society.

3. Causes thirst
A salty food will always cause people to have a sense of thirst. Remember how I always wanted to grab a drink whenever I ate foods that are too salty.
Likewise, a Christian must always causes people around them to thirst in their soul. Always looking for the Source of Life, that's God and His Words.

Remember what happened to the salt that loses its flavor, "thrown out & trampled". Don't let it happens to us.

How salt works? Keep on giving, without getting any rewards! People will always take from you whatever they can take. Until there's no more left, and you will be thrown away.

But, can we keep on giving? That there will be no end of us, no matter how much they take, it won't run out.

True Giving

1 Chronicles 22 - David Prepares to Build the Temple
A lot of us might have come across this story. But how many of us have been changed by King David's act of giving? Are we giving like him?

If we are to build a Temple like this, how much do we need to give? Let's see how much King David has given.

"Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them" - 1 Chr 22  : 14

If we calculate it, the gold and silver alone would be $56 billion in today world. King David alone gave $10.8 billion worth of gold and silver from his own treasury. WOW

But, do remember that it's not the amount that you give that counts. It's the cost that you bear from giving that amount. King David also said this: "... for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing. ..." - 2 Sam 24 : 24

Now that is what we need to be. That's what I meant by giving like King David. Remember the story of a widow with 2 mites (Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4). By giving those 2 mites, she might not even be able to eat later, for it is her last. But why? Because she believes that God will provide.

King David isn't the one going to build the Temple of God, but why did he still gives so much? Because of his love for God. He knows that he's also helping his son Solomon in building the Temple of God, by preparing the material for him.

Let us learn to give without thinking "God, bless me bless me bless me."
But give with a thankful heart, thinking that it will bless others.

~ It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20 : 35) ~