[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fgrowing-as-a-giver":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fgrowing-as-a-giver-surround":63},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":13,"columnName":45,"date":46,"description":19,"extension":47,"image":48,"meta":49,"minRead":50,"navigation":51,"path":52,"postType":53,"publication":54,"publicationUrl":48,"seo":55,"stem":56,"topics":57,"__hash__":62},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fgrowing-as-a-giver.md","Growing as a Giver",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12],"2 Corinthians","Malachi","Matthew","Acts",{"type":14,"value":15,"toc":41},"minimark",[16,20,23,26,29,32,35,38],[17,18,19],"p",{},"\"But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving\" (2 Corinthians 8:7).",[17,21,22],{},"God wants us to excel at giving, just as we should grow in our faith and love. Using the acrostic G-I-V-E-R, let me show you five important principles that can help us grow as Christian givers.",[17,24,25],{},"First, there's the principle of GRACE: we give gratefully, in response to God's goodness. Giving isn't just a way to pay the church's utility bill, but a way to express our love for the Lord. We don't give so we can \"pay our dues,\" buy certain goods and services, or influence church policies. We give to God as an act of worship—not because we have to, but because we want to. The hymn, \"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,\" says it well: \"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!\"",[17,27,28],{},"Then there's the principle of INCREASE: we give proportionately, in keeping with our income. In Malachi 3:8-10, the Lord God portrays himself as a robbery victim and his own people as muggers, robbing him by withholding their tithes and offerings. Do Christians have to tithe? No, we get to tithe! We shouldn't do it hypocritically, like the Pharisees who counted out a tenth of their spice seeds but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. We shouldn't do it legalistically, grudgingly plunking our checks into the offering while forgetting that God owns 100 percent of our belongings, not just 10 percent. And we shouldn't tithe judgmentally, using the tithe as a measuring-stick to look down on others. But when it's done with a proper motivation and attitude, tithing is a wholesome blessing. And as God prospers us and our earnings increase, shouldn't we also increase our giving percentage and set limits on our lifestyles so there will be fewer limits on what we can give?",[17,30,31],{},"Next, there's the principle of VALUE: we give purposefully, because we've embraced God's values as our own. Jesus said, \"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well\" (Matthew 6:33). The Lord cares deeply about saving the lost and meeting the needs of the poor. Have we adopted his values, or do we let the world dictate our priorities?",[17,33,34],{},"There's also the principle of EDUCATION: we need to learn more about giving, and teach our children about stewardship. Churches need to offer classes on biblical principles of money management. Jesus said, \"It is more blessed to give than to receive\" (Acts 20:35). We deprive our children of the blessings of giving if we neglect to teach them about stewardship. One simple plan is to acquire a plastic bank (available in many Christian bookstores) that allows children to divide their money into three sections: one for savings, one for shopping, and the other for the church.",[17,36,37],{},"Finally, there's the principle of REWARD: we give faithfully, believing that God will provide. Honor him with your giving, and God will \"open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it\" (Malachi 3:10). Many of his greatest blessings are spiritual ones, longer-lasting and more valuable than any material thing you can measure in dollars and cents.",[17,39,40],{},"The bottom line? God doesn't need our money, but he wants our hearts. If he has our hearts, then he will also have our possessions—and we will excel in the grace of giving.",{"title":42,"searchDepth":43,"depth":43,"links":44},"",2,[],"From the Editor's Desk","2001-07-22","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fgrowing-as-a-giver","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":19},"articles\u002Fgrowing-as-a-giver",[58,59,60,61],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Intergenerational Ministry","Discipleship","e3-TRymuZvNA9CbCEczTI9iV-TwS2v2bN8-mLAwY2Ao",[64,69],{"title":65,"path":66,"stem":67,"description":68,"children":-1},"Grow Around It","\u002Farticles\u002Fgrow-around-it","articles\u002Fgrow-around-it","Fence-building and fence-mending were common jobs on the farm where I grew up in southern Ohio. Our family owned Holstein dairy cows, Angus steers, and Yorkshire hogs, but despite their dignified-sounding names it often seemed the animals' main goal in life was to prove the axiom that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.",{"title":70,"path":71,"stem":72,"description":73,"children":-1},"Growing by Leaps and Boundaries","\u002Farticles\u002Fgrowing-by-leaps-and-boundaries","articles\u002Fgrowing-by-leaps-and-boundaries","Category: Balance, Faith, Spiritual Growth"]