Give More

Acts 20:³⁵ “…You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

To live the One Handful Living, the first thing you need to do is Throw Out. The second thing you do is Buy Less. And the third thing you need to do to live the One Handful Life is Give More. 1 Timothy 6:¹⁷ “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment…” (NIV, emphasis added). When we read, “Command those who are rich in this present world…” most people conclude that it is not them. Some even say, ‘I hope the rich people can hear this’. Guess what? If you eat three times a day, or if you can eat three times a day (as some of us are watching our weight), you are rich. If you have a car, you are richer than about ninety-three percent (93%) of people in the world. Isn’t that amazing? Then you have a smartphone, or a computer, it is you I am speaking to, you are rich.

1 Timothy 6:^18-19 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (NIV, emphasis added). What you do with your wealth on earth clearly determines what happens in eternity. So, the question is, are you accumulating on earth what you cannot keep or are you investing in heaven what you cannot lose? Which is it? Think about your life, think about this year that is coming to an end. Think about this year, not five or ten years, just this year. Are you only accumulating what you cannot keep? Or are you investing in what you cannot lose?

The truth is we never get any inspirational story from holding back on something we should have given out. For example, nobody tells stories about things they should have given out for the greater good but didn’t give. That will not inspire anyone. I had some money I should have given for a health scheme initiative, but instead, I took my friends out and we used it to buy a nice seafood platter. Then we sat down and ate it all. What a great father you have. I do not think anybody will be happy to tell that kind of story. None of us would tell a story of when we had the opportunity to give sacrificially, and we did not. But on the contrary, we have inspirational stories about giving sacrificially when it was not convenient. Imagine a grandfather telling his grandchildren, ‘You are tithing, what we did was give over and above the first ten percent.’

Prayer: Father, in the Name of Jesus, I will be rich in good deeds, generous, and willing to share. I will lay up treasure and take hold of true life, in Jesus Name. Amen!