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Every human is born with selfishness ingrained in their moral DNA. Selfishness is natural to fallen humanity. On the flip side, every person who has given his life to Christ has become a New Creation at the New Birth and is re-born with generosity as part of his nature.
The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Thus, we naturally have love for God and love for people. This is a vital reality. (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Rom. 5:5; 1 Jn. 4:16-19).
However, in practical terms, a believer may not be generous because he allows selfishness to rule his life. His practice of righteousness is not fully engaged. Instead, he may be controlled by the Syrian god of riches – Mammon.
The worship of this spirit has its origins in ancient Babylon where pride and arrogance held sway in their lives. Consequently, we can understand why the unregenerate rich man speaks harshly and trusts in his riches, believing they are his fortification and high wall (Prov. 18:11).
Note that this spirit may also be in the life of a poor person that only becomes fully manifest when he touches some little money. This spirit of Mammon will rest on the money he touches.
If you are a believer and nobody can speak to you, and you brag about your wealth, threatening to deal with people because you feel your money is your power, the spirit of Mammon may well be in control of your life. Take heed! (1 Sam. 25:17; Prov. 18:23).
As believers, we have been called to love and worship God and Him only. But Mammon competes for the throne of the hearts of men. This is where the love of money becomes the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10).
Three vital disciplines enrich the Christian life. They are giving, praying and fasting. Jesus mentions them in Matthew 6. They are fundamental in the practice of righteousness, and they constitute vital elements in our relationship with the Father.
Jesus expects us to practice them as part and parcel of our lives. He does not say, ‘if you give…’ if you pray…’ or ‘if you fast…’, but He says, “when you give…,” “when you pray,” and “when you fast.” He takes it for granted that His disciples will be ‘givers,’ ‘pray-ers,’ and ‘fast-ers,’ so to speak.
Also, when He says that we should be “beware of practising them… to be seen of others, He is saying, these disciplines are more about the relationship between us and our heavenly Father.
These disciplines are a matter of the disposition of our hearts towards Him and not a show of our spirituality or benevolence before men.
Beware of practising your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven – Matthew 6:1, ESV.
“Thus, when you give…” – Matthew 6:2.
“And when you pray…” -Matthew 6:5.
“And when you fast…’ -Matthew 6:16.
Jesus calls these disciplines, practising your righteousness, and they should be carried out as unto God and not “as to be seen of men.”
God rewards our giving, praying and fasting when practised with the right attitude of heart.
However, in this blog, we are concentrating on giving and by extension, on receiving. However, I intend to elaborate more on it in my book, “The Grace of Giving and Receiving.”
There are some attitudes of the heart and mind that believers should possess that are associated with giving.
Your giving should come from within your heart, manifesting in readiness or eagerness to give generously. You do not have to allow yourself to be extorted or coerced by external manipulation or deception.
Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver (whose heart is in his giving) -2 Corinthians 9:1-2, 5-7, AMP.
It is the nature of true believers to want to give: they give their lives, their time, talents, money, and material things. It is the gift and grace of God in their hearts, and they do it out of love for God and neighbour.
Charlatans in the Church know of this generous inclination in the hearts of believers and try to take advantage to deceive and fleece them. We need to be conscious of this and refuse to fall for such falsehood.
Your life as a believer should be centred on the word of God and the leading of the Spirit who dwells in you.
Such leading should not be by the whims of some extra-biblical “thus saith the Lord” of some self-styled prophet or man of God, but from a clear leading of the Spirit.
Your mindset should be like that of the Father. This mindset can only be built when you let His word dwell in you richly in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, constantly maintaining a deepening of your fellowship (Koinonia: sharing, abiding, intermingling) with the Holy Spirit and walking in His word (Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3).
As you develop intimacy with the Lord, His voice will become clear and distinct to you, and His word, “my sheep hear my voice and the voice of another they would not follow” would become the reality of your life (Jn. 10:4-5, 8, 14, 16, 27).
Also, growth in intimacy with the Lord will result in the growth of your love and passion for Him and you will develop Christ-like character because you have been with Him (Jn. 17:3; Acts 4:13; 1 Jn. 1:3).
Your love for the Lord should be the basis for which you do all things, including giving and receiving. It is only when your life has been given to Him that the giving of your substance or any other thing will be meaningful. Thus, the heart and foundation of all of your giving must be love for God and love for people (Gal. 5:6; Eph. 3:17).
If the love of money or self is at the foundation of your giving, you might as well give all that you have, but it will be meaningless and unproductive. Paul said, if I give all I have and I do not have love, it profits me nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).
Loveless giving is an unprofitable waste. Biblical giving and receiving is an offshoot of love and not “what is in it for me.”
It is with selfish givers to give, only because they gain some benefit or expect those they give would return in kind. Jesus asked if you only give to people you expect to reciprocate your giving, how do you differ from the ungodly? (Matt. 5:46-47; Lk 6:32-34).
This podcast is the first in a three-part series: Living Generously. I have taken some of the material from my book Criminals Behind the Pulpit: Exposing False Ministry and Unveiling True Ministry in the Church, a book for serious believers who want to deepen their relationship with the Lord and avoid deception from charlatans in the Church.
Until the next edition, do not forget to keep, living loving and learning. Thank you.
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