The Joy of Giving

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Do you give out of obligation or calling?
Do you have joy in giving?
How do you cultivate joy in giving?

The Joy of Giving

The United States of America has the highest giving percentage in the world – but it is also one of the few nations that enjoys tax write-offs from charitable giving. Do we give because of the tax write-off, or because we have a heart to give? The recent economic crisis caused many to reduce their giving, and some to even stop giving altogether. Do we give because we have much – or do we give because we are grateful for what we have?

Giving should be something that we do out of joy, not out of a sense of obligation. It should be a natural response of gratefulness, and an expression of joy for who God is and for all that He has done for us. As Kingdom business stewards, we need to be careful not to give out of obligation, guilt, or to receive tax benefits.

The Apostle Paul planted many churches. Some were in very wealthy communities and others in poor communities. It is interesting to note that his ministry was primarily supported by those he planted in poorer communities.

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing. – 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NKJV)

There is a joy that comes from the LORD, and this is what the Macedonian believers were experiencing. It had nothing to do with their circumstances, and everything to do with their deep relationship with Christ. This kind of joy produces outward expressions of praise because of deep inward strength, conviction, and excitement about the past, present, and future blessings of God. 

Joy gives rhythm, flavor, and a smile to our giving. Giving without joy is like operating a piece of machinery without the proper lubrication; it will not last. Joy makes your giving easy, consistent, and supernatural.

How do you give with joy?

1. First, give yourself to the Lord – You cannot give with joy if you have not first given yourself to the Lord. Giving is a response to a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord. God does not need what you have; it is all His anyway. He needs your heart.
2. Give to those people or things you love – John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son.” Giving is a tangible demonstration of your love for someone or for a cause.
3. Give even in the midst of trials – Giving is not something you do when things are going well – it is a lifestyle and a heart attitude. The habit of giving is not developed in good times but in bad times.
4. Give with purpose, not simply to address need – Giving to need without addressing its roots will eradicate resources, while purposeful giving will eradicate need. Giving without purpose will not solve the underlying problems and root causes of lack. Purposeful giving that addresses the underlying issues will solve problems and eliminate lack. Your giving should target those people and organizations who are working to eradicate the needs that you are passionate about.
5. Give to good ground – Giving is an investment in eternity, so you must ensure that the ground that you are sowing into is good ground that can yield the maximum eternal returns (Mark 4:8). Make sure that the person or organization you are giving to will carry out the expected mission, with proper accountability.
6. Give out of what you have – Never give that which has been obligated to other things such as rent, car payments, bills, etc. Other than tithes, which are given first, giving should always be out of discretionary money. If you want to increase your giving, then either increase your income without increasing your obligated expenses or decrease your obligated expenses.
7. Give as unto the Lord – Although our giving will be administered by people and organizations, you must focus on the ultimate receiver: God. No matter what the people or organizations do with your gift, God will honor your heart. This ensures that your giving is unconditional and done with a pure heart.

Some Kingdom business stewards give only enough to meet their tax deduction obligations, while others give irrespective of their tax deduction limit. Which one are you? If the U.S. government ended its tax deduction policy today, would your giving go up or down, or would it remain the same?

After being blessed with several million dollars in a settlement, a young Biblical Entrepreneur was led to commit above and beyond his tithe to Kingdom work. This was against his accountant’s advice, who felt that he should limit his giving to maximize his tax benefit. This young man recognized the fact that his giving was not based on benefits from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but benefits from the King of Kings.

Tax write-offs are great and must be encouraged because it is better to give the money to a Kingdom cause than to the IRS. However, it should not be the motivation or the only basis for our giving. The joy of giving means that I give purely because it is my way of expressing my gratefulness to the God who made me a steward of His resources, and my love for the people and causes I believe in. It is my external expression of the joy and peace I have on the inside and my eternal gratitude to the Prince of Peace. When I give to the Lord for the right reasons, then any personal benefits or by-products of my giving can be enjoyed with a pure heart.

My prayer for you this week is that as we approach this season of giving, God will give you the grace to be sacrificial in your giving, and the wisdom to give with purpose.