Did you know…

That if you give with the intent of getting back (getting a gift in return) that the reward GOD has for you for the gift given has been negated if you receive a reward back from the one you gave to.

This is scriptural and I’m preparing to show this to you. But first, let me remind you of some of what I saw, during this holiday season, in times past.

When it comes to this holiday season, and the spirit of giving, I am reminded of times past and I remember hearing someone say “I’m not giving them a gift because they didn’t give me one.’ Or, “I’m not spending a lot of money on them because they give cheap gifts.”

You know that’s a very selfish way of thinking and giving.

I remember some office grab-bag gift exchange parties where a limit was put on the amount of the gift. For example, the gift had to be between $15 and $20. That was done so that a person could be guaranteed to receive a nice gift.

But what if a person didn’t have that amount to give. To have that expectation of having to give a certain amount, would then take the gift-giving from cheerfully giving to giving under compulsion; and especially so if they were required to give to someone they didn’t like, or if they only gave because they wanted to receive.

That attitude of giving is simply wrong.

We have gotten so far away from the true purpose of giving; and partly because this is not being taught correctly. Instead of being taught the purpose of giving in truth, we are learning incorrectly through behaviors and actions not to give, but to be selfish. Though we are using words such as Joy; and phrases such as the JOY of Christmas and the Spirit of Giving.

So I think it’s only right that we first look at the true purpose of giving found in 2nd Corinthians chapter 8.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given

the Macedonian churches.

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.

Entirely on their own,

they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

And they exceeded our expectations:

They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

But since you excel in everything —in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

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.

And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.

The goal is equality,

as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5,7-15,20-21

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Corinthians8:1-5,7-15,20-21&version=NIV

There are a couple verses not shared here and so I encourage you to go back to your copy of God’s Word to read the entirety of the verses. The verses I did not include was due to it’s being specific to Paul’s time and I didn’t want the meat of the verses missed because people focus on the application for Paul’s day and the giving that was being done then.

I highlight several verses to emphasize the attitude or spirit of giving and to show the purpose of giving. Take your time and go back and look at these. You will find that the attitude of giving was not motivated by receiving. It was motivated by love and the desire to meet a need for the purpose of bringing about an equality among the brethren so that one would not have too much and the other too little.

Omg and we see that very opposite in this world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. So there is much inequality in this world.

The inequality in this world today is so bad that people are chasing after money, thus making money their god.

This is accentuated in the promoting of having more things to make one feel as if they are living.

Let’s look at that …

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.

13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” – Luke 14:7-14

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke14:7-14&version=NIV

I wish I had dated this for when I began writing it. I actually first started it about a week ago but never finishes it.

Today is 12/21/21 and I want to finish this by saying that I like giving. I don’t give to get in return. I give because I enjoy blessing others.

God’s word says that there is more joy in giving than there is in receiving. I agree with that. Dont get me wrong. I like to receive, but I like to give more.

There truly is a purpose in giving. I don’t know if I said it earlier but it has to do with equalizing so that those with little don’t have too little and those with much don’t have too much.

Any way I am going to go ahead and post this for now. I thought I did already and apparently I didn’t and this needs to be shared.

So in its raw state…

I hope this still proves to be a blessing to someone.