GIVING BACK TO GOD AND BEING BLESSED MORE
God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). However, when we show our love by giving back to the Lord he blesses us even more (Mark 10:29-30). “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” (Luke 6:38).
All things were made by the Lord God and for his glory (John 1:1-3; Colossian 1:16). All good things come from him (Romans 11:35-36; James 1:17). God the Father has even given us his best in giving us his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins; and assurance of eternal life (Romans 6:23; John 3:16). God is glorified, and we are blessed, when we thank him and give back to him with a willing heart (2 Corinthians 8:12; Luke 6:38).
THE BIBLE GIVES US EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO GAVE TO GOD AND WERE BLESSED
A SINFUL WOMAN. When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:36-50).
A POOR WIDOW. As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
The widow may have heard sermons in the temple about giving and receiving back even more. And she may heard the Lord teaching people: “do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:32-33)
The Lord praised and memorialized the poor widow for giving all she had to live on (Luke 21:1-4).
PAUL He was a religious leader who ignorantly persecutes people who believed Jesus. Knowing his ignorance, the Lord appeared to him and chose him to be an “instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16).
Being grateful to Lord, Paul willingly suffer much for him. As an apostle, Paul suffered being hungry and naked and many other things for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-30). The apostle said: “This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:8-10))
Paul evidently felt he was blessed to be chosen as an example of suffering for the Lord and his people (Acts 9: 15-16). And Paul concluded: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:4).
THE WORD OF GOD OF TELLS US ABOUT THINGS GOD HAS GIVEN US THAT WE MAY GIVE BACK TO HIM AND BE BLESSED MORE.
The Word tells us: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). God has given us life by creating us (Genesis 1); and given us his Son Jesus Christ to die as a sacrificial atonement for our sins (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
First and most importantly we should repent of our sins and give ourselves to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us (Acts 2:38; I Corinthians 3:16).
The Holy Spirit would have us recognize: “ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
Even what may be the less noticeable gifts in this world, may be highly valued by the Lord. When the Lord commends some people in heaven for giving less noticed gifts: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:37-40).
“ And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42).
As the Lord has sacrificially loved us, he says everyone should: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind….” (Luke 10:27). And “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).
We ought to give to God of ourselves—our soul, our mind, our love, our money, our possessions, our time, our service, and of all else he has given us. And we should do all with thanks and to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
Whatever we give back to the Lord God of what he has given us. he assures each of us we will receive “a hundred times as much in this present age…and in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 6:38; Mark 10:30).
