The gift of giving is the ability to give of material wealth freely and with joy to further God's causes.
Scriptural References
Mark 12:41-44, Luke 3:11, John 12:3-8, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 16:6-15, Acts 20:35, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Biblical Models
The poor widow, Lydia, Acts 2 Christians, Phoebe
People with this gift can
- Manage their finances.
- Shape their lifestyle to fit their discipleship; not the other way round.
- Make sacrificial gifts and offerings in addition to their tithe.
- Giving freely without any thought of return.
- See the connection between money and spirit.
Cautions
- May hold back when facing tight situations in personal finances.
- May attach strings to the gift and try to control the church by giving / withholding.
- May be blessed with financial success and loose this gift.
- May give carelessly and be taken advantage of.
- May not look for ways to multiply the effect of their gifts.
- May think that giving money is all they are called to do.
Personal Traits
- Resourceful
- Responsible
- Charitable
- Trusts in God
- Cheerful
- Disciplined
- Gracious
- Generous
- Thoughtful
Tips for nurturing this gift
- Develop the daily habit of giving thanks to God for God’s blessings.
- Develop the habit of letting your gifts go. Don’t hold on. Don’t look back. Don’t regret.
- Balance foolishness for Christ in your giving with practical wisdom.
Possible Tasks
Stewardship work, project initiator, kick starting finance campaigns, …
Not to be confused with the responsibility of all Christians to …
Tithe
------
(c) 2004, 2006, 2008 David Ewart, www.davidewart.ca
Permission is granted to photocopy all Spirit Given Gift materials for non-profit use, provided credit is acknowledged.
An easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this page is available by clicking here.
