1 Corinthians 13: 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Giving a gift is more than just giving something to make us feel better about ourselves. Giving has to have a heart that is just like God's and He gives us the right burden for giving in the package deal when we receive His righteousness. As mentioned earlier in these verses, "God is love," and to love like Him, there needs to be that kind of love at the center of who we are. Some may even think that sacrificing their bodies for someone is a gift like the one Jesus gave. Wrong!! There is no other sacrifice that is as worthy as the one the perfect Son of God gave on the cross. NO OTHER!
The believers at the church in Corinth had many abilities in music, art, and other left-brain characteristics. Along with those abilities came a desire to be seen and heard, but love was lacking in attitude. When we give a gift, we don't use it to control someone or make them feel like we have power over them. A gift is given and then forgotten and not used to manipulate a person. How can I come to this conclusion? Because that is the kind of gift our God has given to us. We love and serve God because of the purity of this gift and grace draws us closer to God in our attitude and our lifestyle. Paul is all about "gain" in the believer's life, and he says there is no gain when we give gifts with strings attached.
We see these wrong gifts given all the time in politics because the one's giving them aren't really giving a gift because there is a price attached and then the giver can manipulate the receiver. When we give a gift it cannot have any strings attached and this applies most assuredly to giving to a church or ministry. If this kind of giving is allowed then the person giving can control what the preacher preaches, and thus they are in control of the church instead of God because they have poisoned the gift they have given. Paul gets to the heart of the matter and he dispels any attitude in giving that might be based on control. Only God controls the gift, so give it and walk away knowing you have served God with the right attitude
I have experienced the wrong way of giving when a person out of the blue took care of a pressing need we had without any unction from me. Later on they came back to me in an argument and brought up that gift they had given me, and this scripture came to mind. It was not a gift because manipulation was tied to it. When we give, it should be given with a pure heart, and let God use it as a blessing, not a curse. Do not let the blessings of wealth become poison when you give so as to honor satan and not God. We can only do this when we have a Godly love that is found in the righteousness God has given us, and we can only know this love by getting to know the God who has given it. A deeper walk with God is seen in the heart we have in giving and Paul is teaching all of us a lesson in true giving.
Vesselogical Out,
David Warren
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