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It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35b NIV).

The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s brought upheaval into the lives of millions of Europeans. Euphoria over newfound freedom quickly mingled with fear of the breakdown of social order. Hope for the future was tempered by uncertainty over the present. Triumph or tragedy, everyone had a story. One young man, an artist, struggled for nearly two years to survive as a beggar on the streets of an eastern European city. One day, moved at the sight of two other beggars in similar circumstances to his own, he counted out the biggest coins he had and divided them between the two. Soon after this, someone bought not one, but two, of the lovely little paintings he was selling. This was the beginning of his rise out of poverty. What made the difference? Reflecting on what had happened, the young artist remembered reading Jesus’ words, “Give, and it will be given to you…” (Luke 6:38 NKJV). It was then that he realized the true value and power of giving.

In fact, giving is the most important principle for achieving success God’s way. Does that surprise you? Do you find it hard to accept the idea that a key to establishing financial success in your own life is learning to give away your financial resources? Conventional wisdom in the world would say otherwise, but the world’s wisdom is different from God’s wisdom.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV).

All things belong to God because He is the Creator of all. His Kingdom is an infinite Kingdom with infinite resources that can never be exhausted. Those resources are available to every Christian who is willing to apply and live by God’s financial principles. As we learn to give as God has blessed us, we discover also that no matter how much He gives from His storehouse, He never runs out; hence, neither do we. There will always be just as much as there was before. The road to financial success begins with adjusting our mind-set to think in terms of God’s economy, not man’s. Giving is risk-free when you draw from an infinite supply. As counterintuitive as it may seem to a “rational” human mind, giving is a fundamental principle in the economy of God’s Kingdom.

Give, Give, Give

Another word for money is currency. Related to the word current, currency carries the idea of movement, as with water in a river—something that flows. And just like water, money that does not move becomes stale and stagnant. It needs to move frequently in order to remain fresh and productive.

As Christians, we are to be channels through which the finances of the world flow, not people who hoard money. Why should we hoard money when we are heirs to the infinite riches of God?

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory (Romans 8:16-17 NIV).

Whenever you are afraid or selfish with what God has given you, you stop the flow. You create clogged pipes, making it hard for finances to come back to you. The way to get the flow going again in your life is to start giving. Open the valve; be generous! Give extra tips. Make a deliberate choice to bless others and then watch what happens!

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV).

Giving does more for the giver than for the receiver. Indeed, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b NIV). Giving and receiving are in fact two sides of the same coin. People often ask me, “Should we tithe on the gross or on the net income of our paychecks?” Giving is an issue of the heart. It’s not a question of percentages. The joy of giving exceeds the law of giving ten percent. The law was cancelled in Jesus Christ. How much you should give really comes down to the question of how large a harvest you want.

Paul instructs us, as he did the Corinthian church, to make sure that we excel in the grace of giving.

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 NIV)

Although personal benefit should never be our primary motivation for giving, Jesus makes it clear that generosity in giving brings back abundant returns to the giver.

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38 NKJV).

One of the reasons God blesses us with finances is so that we can share with those who are less fortunate than we are. Giving can be a very enriching and rewarding experience. Every believer, regardless of his income, should learn to be a giver. Giving is the best way to keep material things in the right perspective in our lives. God doesn’t need our money, but we need to give as a guard against greed and selfishness. Sharing with others helps keep our heart in the right place.

Why Should We Give?

The Bible is a very practical book, telling us not only that we should give, but also telling us why we should give.

First of all, giving shows our gratitude to God. It shows that we acknowledge God as the source of our supply and our prosperity.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Genesis 28:20-22 NKJV).

Secondly, giving is an act of worship. It is a visible, tangible way for us to ascribe “worth-ship” to God by offering up to Him a portion of what He has already given us.

Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah (Ezekiel 46:3-5 NKJV).

Thirdly, giving is an act of obedience to the Word of God. Simply stated, we should give because the Word of God commands us to do so.

Now concerning the money contributed for [the relief of] the saints (God’s people): you are to do the same as I directed the churches of Galatia to do. On the first [day] of each week, let each one of you [personally] put aside something and save it up as he has prospered [in proportion to what he is given], so that no collections will need to be taken after I come (1 Corinthians 16:1-2 AMP).

Fourthly, giving acknowledges that God is the owner of our possessions. We are stewards, not owners, and therefore are accountable to God for how we manage what He has given us. Giving helps keep us mindful of this steward/owner relationship.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1 NKJV).

Aside from these God-focused reasons, giving also carries benefits for others as well as ourselves. Giving enables us to be God’s instruments for blessing others and meeting their needs.

In everything I have pointed out to you [by example] that, by working diligently in this manner, we ought to assist the weak, being mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive (Acts 20:35 AMP).

Finally, giving opens the doors of God’s blessings into our own lives.

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9 NIV).

How Should We Give?

Our giving, first of all, should be balanced. The resources available to us include more than just money. We must find the proper balance between giving our money, our time, and our assets. There are times certainly when God wants us to give our money, but sometimes He wants us to give our time. On other occasions He may want us to give of our material possessions, of which most of us already have an overabundance.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3 NIV).

In addition to balance, our giving should be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we wait patiently for Him, God will always direct us where, what, and when to give.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).

Before giving large sums of money, committing sizable chunks of time, or parting with major assets, it is vitally important that spouses be in agreement with one another. Financial matters cause more marital problems and conflict than any other single issue. For this reason, married couples should take time to pray and discuss matters together before making a sizable gift.

Giving that honors God is more about attitude than amount. Whatever we give, and however much or little we give, we should give cheerfully.

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 to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving] (2 Corinthians 9:7 AMP).

Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly (1 Chronicles 29:9 NKJV).

To Whom Should We Give?

This is a valid question because of the enormous number of people, groups, institutions, and ministries that are always clamoring for our support. Some of them are worthy; many of them are not. We must exercise careful and prayerful discernment in deciding where to invest our gifts. Nevertheless, the Bible reveals three areas that should always take priority as targets of our giving.

Churches and other godly organizations. It is important that we give to where God directs us to give. In Malachi 3:8-10, the Lord commands us to “bring all the tithes into the storehouse” (NKJV). Give according to how God directs you. I believe that if you give, not only will others be blessed because of your giving, but you, too, may go to a “storehouse” when times are hard and find provision.

Mission agencies. We need to become world Christians, realizing that our giving to mission work is building the Kingdom of God and making it possible for the light of the Gospel to expose the works of darkness. In Haggai 1:7–2:9, the Lord says to build His house first, then He will bless the people.

Make sure that the money you give to missions is actually getting to the mission field rather than being used to cover excessive administrative costs or support extravagant lifestyles of the leaders of the organization. Is the mission organization to which you are giving preaching the Word and actually building God’s Kingdom, or is it social-minded? Do some research before you give. Agencies with nothing to hide will hide nothing. They will be transparent in accounting for their use of the gifts they receive.

Those in need. Needy people are all around us. All we have to do is look. The needs are far too numerous for any of us to meet them all, so we must ask God to show us the specific needs He wants us to target.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given (Proverbs 19:17 NKJV).

The Kingdom of God is the opposite of the world’s system. As described in the verses above, we increase by decreasing. Kenneth Copeland teaches people who are in debt to begin to give to those around them who are in need. By giving to others, we become channels of God’s blessing to others.

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. 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 (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV).

What Happens When We Do Not Give?

When we do not give, we cease to become a channel through which God can pour His blessings.

He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses (Proverbs 28:27 NKJV).

When we make little or no effort to help others, we subsequently become even more calloused to their needs.

But if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity) (1 John 3:17-18 AMP).

Ignoring the needs of others will hinder our own prayers from being answered.

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard (Proverbs 21:13 NKJV).

More Scripture on Giving

Take heed not to forsake or neglect the Levite [God’s minister] as long as you live in your land (Deuteronomy 12:19 AMP).

Tithing

Tithing is the practice of giving a tenth of your income as an offering to God. Paying a tithe was commonly practiced throughout the nations of the ancient world. Abram tithed to Melchizedek even before the law. (Read Genesis 14:14-20 compared to Exodus 20); and Hebrews states that while Levi was in his loins, Abraham tithed. Even the heathens tithed in ancient days.

When you tithe, you are simply honoring the One who has blessed you. All things come from God. Only a fool would not bless in return the One who has blessed and released finances to him. What you have does not come from your intellect, good luck, or by accident. The One who has blessed you is God.

You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts (Deuteronomy 12:17 NIV).

Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. “We will not neglect the house of our God” (Nehemiah 10:37-39 NIV).

“Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed MeTh But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:7-10 NKJV).

Offerings

Offerings are the money that we give over and above the tithe. The word offering in the Hebrew is qorban. This word means to draw near. Offerings cost us something beyond our comfort zone. An offering draws us near to God through sacrifice.

[King David] said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24a NKJV).

Sacrifice is giving something of value for something of greater value. Offering is an act of worship. God sacrificed His Son, “something of value,” for us.

From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze… (Exodus 35:5 NIV).

But if he is poor and cannot afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, a log of oil, and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford: one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering (Leviticus 14:21-22 NKJV).

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you (Deuteronomy 16:17 NKJV).

Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the Lord and the most holy things. And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small (2 Chronicles 31:14-15 NKJV).

And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:4 NIV).

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:42-44 NIV).

Be A Giver

Giving from a generous heart is the key to a successful, fruitful, and satisfying life. So be a giver! You will be a blessing to others and will your self be blessed.

[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. 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 to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving] (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP).

[Always] treat with great consideration and give aid to those who are truly widowed (solitary and without support) (1 Timothy 5:3 AMP).

So we ourselves ought to support such people [to welcome and provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth (the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers (3 John 8 AMP).

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV).

Many entreat the favor of the nobility, and every man is a friend to one who gives gifts (Proverbs 19:6 NKJV).

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9 NIV).

He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses (Proverbs 28:27 NKJV).

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away (Matthew 5:42 NKJV).

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble (Psalm 41:1 AMP).

He who despises his neighbor sins [against God, his fellow-man, and himself], but happy (blessed and fortunate) is he who is kind and merciful to the poor. … He who oppresses the poor reproaches, mocks, and insults his Maker, but he who is kind and merciful to the needy honors Him (Proverbs 14:21,31 AMP).

Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (Proverbs 19:21 AMP).

Chapter One

Sharing Your Blessings

Questions and Review

1. What is the fundamental principle for achieving financial success God’s way? Why is this principle risk-free?

2. What is another word for “money”? In what way does this word represent how we should and should not handle money?

3. List the six reasons why you should give.

4. List the four instructions provided regarding how you should give.

5. To whom should you give?

6. List three results of neglecting to give.

7. What is the difference between tithing and giving offerings?

8. Reread the Scriptures at the end of the chapter following the subtitle "Be a Giver." Write one-word descriptions (or forms of the words) found in these Scriptures that identify how you should give or what kind of giver you should be.