its more blessed to give
Read Time: 7 mins
This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
Genesis 22:16-17
The core currency of our Christian walk is faith, and that faith is often exercised through uncomfortable and humbling acts of self-sacrifice. To truly experience the power of God, we need to lower ourselves enough to create space for Him. This is why Jesus says that the poor will be blessed because they realize their need for Him. This is why Paul says that God can show up strongest when he is humble enough to admit his weakness.
While this humility is often birthed through weaknesses, failures, storms, and the challenges of life, God also calls us to systematic acts of faith that reinforce our recognition of our dependence on Him. God made us so He knows how we’re designed to best function. He is like a car manufacturer telling you how many times you need an oil change so that you can get the best out of what He designed for you. He gives us the keys to a purposeful life through prescribed acts of “spiritual maintenance”.
I could spend a lot of time on this, but Deuteronomy 5:15 reminds us that God’s call to remember the Sabbath is because the children of Israel were slaves. For generations, they had been trained to believe that their work and efficiency were the only things that would keep them safe and provided for. God is fighting to retrain our minds in the same way. As Moses liberated the Israelites from physical slavery, Jesus liberated us from spiritual slavery. The Sabbath is a weekly workout to remind you that your liberation is by faith and not works. It’s a needed practice if you want to function at your best.
The Sabbath isn't a sin issue because it was inaugurated before the fall, it's related to function. This process of rest was designed to keep you in working order. The Sabbath is a way of God revealing His loving character and reminding us, like Adam, Eve, and the Israelites, that we too should be consistently reminded that we function best when resting in His finished work and not trying to fight for ourselves. We are dependent on Him for our sustenance and not ourselves or anyone else. That is what the practice of sabbathing teaches us. And that is not the only habitual practice to remind you of the liberation found in humble dependence.
The Bible doesn’t say “if you pray” it says “when you pray”, because the habitual practice of prayer is needed for our walk. It forces you to be reminded that you aren't in this alone and that there is someone bigger than you who is fighting for you. The Bible doesn’t say “if you fast” it says “when you fast,” because the practice of fasting is used to remind us of our dependence. Paul reminds us twice to rejoice always because gratitude reminds us of what God did before and is the key to melting away the fear of tomorrow. It’s part of our prescription for a healthy life. Are you catching this pattern of us needing constant reminders of who God is and how we should view the world and our lives in relation to that fact?
There's another “when you” that we constantly treat as an “if you”. And it's also prescribed because our Creator knows what is needed for us to function best. The other “when you” we see in Matthew 5 is about giving.
Giving is another uncomfortable practice designed to reveal to us a deeper aspect of the character and work of Christ. Giving doesn’t just show others what the sacrificial love of God looks like, it is designed to build our own personal faith and understanding of Christ. Yet many of us are missing out on the miracles God truly wants to show us because we aren't accepting the medicine He is prescribing. Abraham gives us a glimpse into why a sacrificial heart is the prerequisite to an abundant life.
God’s desire for Abraham was for him to be the father of not just one but many nations. But like with us, God had to prepare Abraham for that immense calling. Growth is always needed because a blessing out of season is a curse. God often takes time to prepare you because a calling you aren't ready for will crush you.
So Abraham waits years for this calling of fatherhood to come to fruition. He makes mistakes along the way but finally sees it come to pass with the birth of Isaac. I can only imagine the excitement and celebration. But everything shifts when God tells him to sacrifice Isaac.
I can imagine Abraham feeling like he misheard God. Soren Kierkegaard refers to this as “the teleological suspension of the ethical.” This is when God seems to use unethical means to accomplish some good. And though Abraham may have not fully understood, Hebrews 11 tells us that he had the faith to believe that even if he killed his son, God would raise him from the dead.
What God calls you to may not make sense but God has a way of scheduling tests in our lives when He knows we're ready to graduate into the next level of faith university. You know the story. Abraham confidently tells his servants that he and Isaac will return because while he may not understand why this duty was asked of him, he genuinely believes that God will resurrect his son. As Abraham approaches the diving board of faith, ready to jump in, an angel grabs his hand and stops him in his tracks. He has passed this test of faith. The angel continues by informing Abraham that he is now trusted enough to walk into the calling he was destined for.
“Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
Genesis 22:15-18 NLT
Could it be that you aren’t yet allowed into the spaces you're called to because you haven’t yet obeyed God in your Isaac moments? Could it be that the door to your destiny isn’t opened because your faith isn't reliable? Could it be that your faithlessness in the little things is the sole reason you aren't trusted with more?
So what does this have to do about giving? Many of us love the gift more than we trust the gift giver. We love what God gave but don't trust Him enough to give it back when He asks for it. And this is why we aren't trusted with more.
Think about this. If there was a bank that never let you withdraw what you deposited into it when you wanted to, would you put money in that bank? No right? But you expect God to trust you to have the finances to build schools in Baltimore and end world hunger but you don't even give tithe? You're not a trusted steward. He can’t trust you with more if you don't trust Him with Isaac. You can't be a father of nations if you can't be trusted to let Him use just one of the kids He gave you.
You want God to give you gifts and talents but you are too selfish to let Him use them. And like the servant in Matthew 25 who buried his talents, you will be cast away. God wants to give you His resources, not so they go to waste, but so He can have power banks all through the world that He can tap into at will.
I believe God is calling some of us to move from being intercessors and start being answers. I want us to make calls that put kids through school instead of just praying over GoFundMe campaigns. I want us to be called into surgeries with healing in our hands instead of just paying for the medical bills. But God will never waste His resources on us in the future if He can't trust us with what we have now. You’ll never get married if you can't steward the gift of singleness. You’ll never get promoted if you don't manage your current position. You can't preach to nations if you're too afraid to preach to your family. Stop living in the future and start giving your all now.
We need to make a commitment that we will give back what has been given to us. The gifts, the skills, the time, the testimony and the resources are Gods to begin with. They are just on loan and we are accountable for them. Some of us need to start by paying a faithful tithe, which is just 10% your income, and an offering which is just an overflow given in gratitude to God. It may sound like a lot but honestly it is a practice that helps you not just trust God but to be trusted by God with more. I was blessed to see parents with one income (a measly pastors salary at that) systematically give at least 20% of their income back to God in tithe and offering but still own two houses, while putting three kids through nothing but private school and then private college with no loans. Trusting God with things that don't make sense will open the door for Him to bless you in ways that don’t make sense.
I’m not going to lie and say sacrifice isn't hard. God often asks me to give the most when I’m saving for something or feel like finances are tight. But He keeps showing me how trustworthy He is. Everytime I give, I see a new aspect of Him. I’m too blessed to be stressed. I prayed for a car while in college and got one for free. I prayed for a car after college and was anonymously given the money for one by a person who said God just told them to. You see the cycle here? That person probably started where I am. Blessed and committed to trust God in the little things. And now as they’ve built their faith, they’re trusted to be the answer to a college student's prayers. I want to be on the same path. I am called to give because of how much I’ve been given. And I want you to join me.
Give it all back, and just see how God will bless you. Read this passage in Luke with me and answer this question as we close. Would you trust yourself if you were a bank?
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
Luke 16:10-12
Here is your chance to practice partnering with God in a practical way. I feel compelled to come back and solicit your help in a vision God is putting on my heart.
There is a teacher named Sanna who has immigrated here from the continent of Africa. He has been teaching in Cincinnati while in the process of trying to bring his wife and kids here with him. He is a regular at church and is instrumental in making sure we have breakfast every morning before service. But he let a few of us know that he has been walking 30 minutes each day to go to his school in this snowy Ohio weather. He hasn’t complained one bit and has done so much to serve the church and kids in this community.
I want us to give back.
I want us to band together and get him a car.
So here’s the plan. I need us to click the link below and start donating to the “ROAR Ministries” tab (or $shilohsda513 on Cash App). I want you to pray and ask God how much He wants you to give. I believe we will be able to showcase the surprising and providing love of God to many through this initiative. Appreciate you. I’ll keep you updated!
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If this meant something to you, I’m asking that you share this devotional with anyone who may be encouraged or rebuked by this message. Subscribe to receive these free devotionals by texting the word “thoughts” to (844) 750-0137 or by filling out the form on the Subscribe tab on this website. Lots of love. Until next time.
~ Pace Fordham
