Giving financially into the kingdom of God through tithes, offering and various other ways, has been some of the most taught (sometimes even wrongly taught) doctrines in the church today. At the end of this post, we would like to hear your thoughts, experiences and testimonies in the area of giving.

Sadly, I have so often refrained from talking or even writing about it thinking that I don’t want people to think I am after their money, the same feeling I had about people who taught or talked about money. I have realised how wrong I was in my decision to not talk about it more often. If we don’t teach people what to do with their money, the devil surely will, and he is actually doing that.

In this post, I intend to target five things that God has been personally teaching me and I am excited to share them with you, knowing that, practicing them in my personal and family finances have yielded so much fruit, both financially and spiritually.

Like Jesus said in Luke 16:11 (NLT) “And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” Being able to manage our world wealth wisely is also a great key in being trusted with true spiritual wealth of heaven.

The Farmer That Scatters Seeds

So very often our giving to God is so organised, planned and pre-meditated, that we don’t let anything get out of your control. Its not wrong, it’s sign of your discipline, maturity and intent. However, I want to take it one step forward and challenge you towards the harvest that God is wanting to send into your life.

Have you read the parable of the farmer scattering seeds? (Matthew 13) The farmer is not looking exclusively for only the good and fertile ground to sow in. He is just going crazy at scattering the seed everywhere he walks. I have seen this from the life and example of so many anointed men of God who have understood this principle. You just can’t stop them from sowing into people’s lives, no matter where they are.

You don’t need to look for the next big church service where there is a teaching on giving and a video shown about hungry children in underdeveloped countries, you need to just walk out of your door with a big and generous heart, you will immediately start seeing grounds that people have rejected & despised. It could probably be your seed that will turn someone’s life upside down.

Don’t be cautious about randomly, yet prayerfully sowing into people’s lives.

Do You Have Bread and Wine For Me?

Abraham gave a tenth of all he received to Melchizedek, who had previously blessed him and served him bread and wine. (Genesis 14) Here’s the second principle, you cannot just be a farmer scattering the seeds, you have to become intentional about sowing a greater measure of your finances into the man or ministry that is serving you bread and wine!

The bread represent the Word of God. The wine symbolises the Spirit of God. The tithes that you separate have to be in response of what you have received from God. It’s very tricky to run after a ministry, which is purely giving only the bread or only the wine. You need the meat of the word, and the power of His presence to be able to lead a healthy and balanced life.

My suggestion is that you look for a home church where you are served with both bread and wine, and consequently separate a tenth of all you receive towards the house God has planted you in. If you don’t get that in your home church, why don’t you look for another ministry or minister whom God has been using to feed you the bread and wine, and sow into their life.

This’s a principle I have studied from the word, observed my spiritual parents do the same, and I have ever since been practicing that.

How Do I Increase In My Love For God?

Do you know that your giving is an expression of your love for God? If that is true, what can you do to increase in your giving? I realised that it was a huge problem, if I have been giving the same amount for ages without any change at all. Slowly it becomes a routine, and doesn’t bother me much.

When we move from the Old Testament (the law) to the New Testament (the grace), we see an increase in everything. In the Old, there was a constant emphasis on tithing, in the New there was constant references to how people sold everything they had and gave it to the Apostles. (Acts 4).

Giving tithe is a good principle. However, if you want your giving to really represent your increasing love for the Lord, make sure to push the limits once in a while and give beyond your usual style and measure.”

I have been personally practicing increase in my giving almost every year. And till today, I haven’t had to decrease the amount because I don’t have enough income. The more I have been willing to give, the more God has prepared me to receive.

Break the Alabaster Jar

This is beyond just increase in giving. This is being willing to give sacrificially. When the lady (Mary) broke the Alabaster Jar at the feet of Jesus in worship, she was laying down her entire life at his feet. (Mark 14) She didn’t hold back or keep anything for herself. In Pastor Shyju’s words she had reached a place of no return.

We see that so many New Testament believers practiced the same. They sold their properties and gave away all their belongings to be able to invest into the church. That’s them risking their kids going hungry. They were willing to live with the fact that probably their children wouldn’t receive an inheritance from them. This was really sacrificial.

I don’t think everyone can easily reach this place of absolute surrender, especially because its so hard. It takes an unwavering trust that Jesus is more worth than all my money and possessions put together. My prayer is that you will keep this in your list of goals, to increase your giving to even come to a point of no return.

Am I Giving Towards A Revival?

Let me conclude with this question? Why do we really give? Is it only so we can receive from God? Is it only to prove to everyone else that I can give more than them? We give purely because He first gave to us. Just like we love God, because He first loved us.

Here’s something that motivated my heart towards writing this post. The first century church didn’t give just because there was a need or just because there were bills to be paid. They gave because they were experience a revival. They were experiencing a move of God, and that move of God moved them into radical giving.

If you are struggling to give, if your church offerings have been going down, it can definitely be attributed towards lack of desire and growth towards Revival. If your church is dreaming about changing the world and blessing nations, your church will be willing to invest and give towards that dream.

If you have been reading our blogs for a while, you already know that as individuals and as a ministry we are extremely passionate about revival. It is that same dream that causes us to give, and give randomly, intentionally, increasingly, sacrificially towards a revival. My prayer is that this post will inspire and challenge you also into doing the same.

May God give you the increase and the harvest in this season according to the measure of your investment into his house and his kingdom!