It all started with giving

SUMMARY: We should adopt a constant giving ethic, not just when we want something from God. Giving should be a natural part of our character. The Bible advises us to be diligent and invest with a visionary mindset. Jesus exemplifies the principle of generosity, giving himself for us. If we adopt this attitude and behavior, we will experience the blessing of God. Just as Jesus was raised by self-emptying, we will also be raised by dispossessing ourselves for the benefit of others. If we lose our life in imitation of Jesus Christ, we will earn it as he did.

We have to adopt an ethic of constant giving, not just when we want God to do something for us. We should give because that has become our very nature. May God have made me a cheerful giver, not a person who gives only when there is a need, or when it suits him, or when he wants to get something from God. Giving and sharing should be something that comes naturally to us.

Over the years, the passage from Ecclesiastes 11: 1 and 2 has come to define much of my ministerial practice: “Cast your bread on the water; because after many days you will find it. Distribute to seven, and even to eight; because you do not know the evil that will come on earth ”. The Bible advises us to be diligent, and always invest visionary, looking ahead, not just thinking about the immediate.

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