Creative Giving

The problem with our North American culture is that we have our priorities wrong. Our materialistic society appears to be under the control of the companies that spend million of dollars on marketing their products. Our culture is shaped by what is deemed to be fashionable by society. Our “wants” have become “needs” and people go to great lengths to see that these “needs” are met.

God has not called us to see how much money we can make for ourselves. The maxim, “he who dies with the most toys wins” could not be further from the truth. Instead, God has called us to be blest in every way so that we might be a blessing to others. We cannot give to others and build up the Kingdom if we ourselves are not blest. This is where the twist comes in; too much emphasis on getting more things instead of getting more blessings to pass on (ie. sew) to others. I believe that not only are we to plant our excess into the Kingdom, but we should actually be maintaining a viewpoint that says, “how much more can I give and where?” In short, we are to be conduit pipes for the blessings of the Lord. We receive and we give. It should be our goal to seek ways to increase our receiving so that we can then look for ways to increase our giving. Many people are content with the amount of money they have and their level of income and do not wish to pursue more. Personally, I find that to be selfish. Every Christian should pursue blessings. That does not mean that we are to be money hungry, work-a-holics, or put all of our energy into our careers for the purpose of building wealth. Some of us are called into business for financial kingdom building; others have different callings. However, everyone is called to be a blessing in order to be a blessing!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He was teaching that we can gauge our lives and priorities in life by what we spend our time with and where we spend our money. How a person spends their money is a big indicator of where their heart is. Possessions can possess us if we are not careful. Not just in the money that they cost but also in the time we dedicate to them. Hobbies are a wonderful thing, but sometimes hobbies can be all consuming. Anything that keeps us from God is sin.

Alternatively, if we are thinking in terms of how we can use our material and financial possessions to glorify God, pursuing God’s work and investing in the preaching of the gospel and disciplining of others (the great commission) then we are glorifying God.

Creative giving means putting God first and looking for ways to bless others and build the Kingdom.

Go to www.lifeposter.ca for more thoughts on this subject.