Spiritual Disciplines: Giving

Here's installment number three in this current blog series. What I am doing is providing a basic summary of the sermon series which we concluded a few weeks ago. The series was entitled Freedom.

Many of us struggle to live a life of spiritual freedom, and one of the main reasons that is often the case is because we neglect to practice the spiritual disciplines (i.e. worship, prayer, giving, Bible study, serving, and Christian community). Practicing these disciplines doesn't make us free. Faith in Jesus is what makes us free. It's trusting in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that makes us free. However, it's through the disciplines that we enjoy the freedom that Christ won for us.

I recommend taking the time to listen (or re-listen) to the messages in the series. To do so simply click here: FREEDOM. What I am doing in my blog is simply summarizing some of the key points we made in regard to the six spiritual disciplines that we discussed during the series.

This week I'm briefly summarizing the spiritual discipline of generous giving.

We looked at 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, and what we saw was that like prayer giving is all about grace and glory. Second Corinthians 8:9 says, "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." What that verse teaches us is that teaches is that Jesus left the amazing, glorious riches of heaven and came into this world. He bankrupted Himself by taking on human form and dying on a cross. And the reason He did so was that we who are sinners (spiritually poor) may one day through His faith in Him and His sacrifice enter into the amazing, glorious riches of heaven. That's grace.

Well, if we are eternal beneficiaries of the grace of God through Jesus, then we should be agents of grace. Like Jesus we should be generous givers that others may also benefit from God's grace. Giving is about lovingly helping those in need and sacrificially supporting the advancement of the gospel. 

Second Corinthians 9:13 says, "Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will GLORIFY God for your obedience." The discipline of giving is about being gracious toward others that God may be glorified. Because we have received God's grace, then we now live for His glory. And one of the ways that we live for his glory is by being generous with the financial resources that God has entrusted into our care. 

We can't live spiritually free is we're enslaved by the love of money. We can't save, invest, earn, or buy our way into freedom. The opposite is true. We enjoy the freedom that Christ won for us, when we are open handed with our finances and possessions. 

There are many ways to practice the spiritual discipline of giving, but it begins by budgeting. Take some time to evaluate your finances. What are some costs that you can eliminate from your expenses? How can you better prioritize your expenditures? Make a budget and stick to it. Be sure to include your tithes/offerings to your church. Set money aside to support missionaries, church planting, and mission trips. 

The spiritual discipline of giving includes the spiritual discipline of stewardship. We are not owners. We are managers. God has entrusted certain resources into our care. Our role is to use those resources the right way. As followers of Jesus, we are to be good stewards of that which God has blessed us with. We are to be agents of grace. We have received the grace of God so that we may show that same grace to others; and we show grace by giving generously. And when we do so, God is glorifies. And nothing brings more joy to the heart of a believer than glorifying God.

Be an agent of grace!

In awe of Jesus,
Pastor Rick