Day 4

Bruce Miller, author

This week, we are reprinting Chapter 1 of  Bruce Miller’s book, Giving: Three Questions. We’re answering the question, “Why give?” Generous giving puts a smile on three faces.

So far we’ve seen that generous giving puts a smile on God’s face and on others’ faces. Then there is one more smile.

I was surprised that there seems to be more in the Bible about this smile than about the other two.

It puts a smile on your own face.

Put a smile on your face

Giving makes you smile. The point is not that we give to get. Certainly not. We don’t give to get rich. But passage after passage in the Bible teaches that giving brings you blessing. It brings you joy. It makes you smile. Listen to the Word of God as you read a few.

Here’s the prophet Malachi:

 ^“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10–12).

It’s not that God brings you a little blessing, a dribble. No, he promises to open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing you will not have room to store it. Proverbs says,

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine (Proverbs 3:9–10). 

Notice again the abundance—filled to overflowing, brimming over.

This teaching continues in the New Testament. Listen to Jesus in the book of Luke:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:38).

He refers to the ancient grain merchant who would fill the lap of his customer as full as possible until the grain ran over the edge. You can never out give God. The more you give, the more blessing he gives back.

Paul quoted Jesus making the basic point that giving brings joy. In Acts we read,

Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Let me paraphrase it. It brings more joy to give money than to receive money. It puts a bigger smile on your face to give than it does to receive. We give because generosity creates joy for God, for others and for us.

The blessings we receive are not only intrinsic to the act of giving itself, but also more blessings come from God when we give. God will enrich us in every way. Speaking of generous giving Paul says,

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work….  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:7–11).

These blessings, these “riches,” are much more than financial. Giving grows your soul. Generosity cures greed. Generous giving frees you from the grip of consumerism. It helps you let loose of this world and live for eternity. It helps you take your eyes off yourself and put your eyes on others. Generous giving builds your faith as you tangibly express that your security is not in your savings but in your Savior.

Randy Alcorn wrote, “Giving is not God’s way of raising money—it’s his way of raising children.”[1]  Giving is part of spiritual maturity, part of following Jesus. Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).  Giving grows your heart.

These blessings are not only here on earth, but also in heaven. They are now and they are eternal. Jesus said,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19–20).

Paul said that by generous giving, we lay up treasures for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17–19). 

Giving brings you joy today and forever. Our smiles will be even bigger in heaven. It’s been said that you brought nothing into the world and will take nothing out, but a deeper truth is that you can send treasure ahead. Your giving today stores up treasure in heaven. Many people miss this. What you do with your money today impacts eternity.

This saying from Proverbs summarizes the point:

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24–25).

Reflect

• In what ways you do experience more blessing when you give contrasted with when you receive?

[1] Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity (Tyndale House, Wheaton, Illinois, 1989), 234.