Sunday Lesson:10 Reasons Why It Is More Blessed To Give Than To Receive

The most unbelieved beatitude in the Bible is:
“It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts
20:35).

The giver happier than the getter? Surely some goodmistake? That goes against all our intuitions
and instincts. So let me help you to believe it
and act upon it by giving you ten reasons why
it is more blessed to give than to receive.

1. Giving obeys God’s command

The Old Testament has way more commands
about financial giving – who, when, and how
much – than the New Testament. Maybe the
New Testament writers just assumed that as
God had given far more to us in the New
Testament – giving Himself to death – that our
giving should follow fairly logically and easily.
But, just in case we might miss the link, there
are clear New Testament commands also (e.g.
1 Corinthians 1:2). As all of God’s commands
are given to enhance our lives, obeying this
command will increase our happiness.

2. Giving submits to God’s Lordship

Every act of obedience recognizes that there is
a higher authority in our lives, that there is a
Lord over us who is entitled to honor and
respect. Due to our temperament, personality,
or circumstances, we may find some
commands relatively easy to obey. Our
submission is really tested in the areas where
our own nature and situation make obedience
more difficult. For most of us, money is one of
those areas. Our wallet is often the last citadel
to fall to God’s rule, and even when it does fall,
it gets rebuilt and re-secured again all too quickly.
If only we could remember that Divine Lordship
is not a threat; rather it’s the place of greatest
safety.

3. Giving exhibits God’s heart

God is THE giver of every good and perfect gift
(James 1:17). As His image-bearers we are
called to copy His giving, to be mini-pictures of
His infinitely large heart. The larger our hearts
(and the wider our hands), the larger the
picture we paint of God’s character. What do
people think of God when they think of the way
you use your money?

4. Giving illustrates God’s salvation

At the heart of the Gospel is sacrificial self-
giving (John 3:16). That’s why when the
Apostle Paul wanted to encourage the
Corinthians to give more, he pointed them to
the person and work of Christ. “For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He became
poor, that you through His poverty might
become rich” (2 Corinthians 2:9). Yes, you
abound in faith, love, etc., but “see that you
abound in this grace also.” When we give
sacrificially, painfully, for the benefit of others,
we are faintly and on a small-scale preaching
the Gospel message.

5. Giving trusts God’s provision

The biggest deterrent to giving is fear, the fear
that if I give away too much I won’t have
enough for this or that. When we give
sacrificially, above and beyond what is
comfortable and easy, we are expressing our
faith and trust in God to provide for us and our
family. This is not an argument for folly, but for
faith. Many Christians have discovered the joy
of casting their crumbs of bread upon the
waters and multiple loaves returning after many
days (Ecclesiastes 11:1). It’s such a joy to see
God fulfill His promise of provision when we
obey Him.

6. Giving widens God’s smile

The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians
2:7). It delights Him to see His people gladly
opening their hearts and hands to provide for
the needs of His Church and indeed of all His
creatures. Through Paul, God repeatedly
commends and praises those who gave of their
funds and of themselves to Gospel work (2
Corinthians 8:1). There’s nothing that makes a
Christian happier than knowing that she’s made
God happy, and happy giving means a happy
God.

7. Giving advances God’s kingdom

Many of us have contributed to Apple in one
way or another. We have helped to grow the
company from a garage operation to the
worldwide empire it is today. And I’m happy
about that, as it’s a company that has brought
many blessings to the world. But think of what
blessing results when we fund the mission of
Christ’s church. We are paying salaries of
ministers and missionaries. We are funding
resources for outreach, evangelism, and
discipleship. But above all we are investing in
the spiritual and eternal welfare of people from
every nation, tribe, kindred and tongue. Our
dollars are changing homes, relationships,
countries, and even the eternal destiny of many
souls.

8. Giving promotes God’s sanctification

Giving not only promotes God’s work through
us, but also God’s work in us, our
sanctification. Giving money, especially when it
pains us, requires much self-denial and self-
crucifixion. However, as every act of giving
weakens and even breaks our sinful and selfish
nature, the more God’s grace spreads in our
hearts. Yes, money leaves our pockets, but sin
also leaves our heart. And that’s a great deal.
Priceless actually.

9. Giving testifies to God’s power

Although we are not to let our left hand know
what our right hand does, it’s pretty obvious
that Christians give a lot to their churches and
Christian charities. Even secular observers have
noticed with amazement how generous
Christians often are with their money. They may
not say it but they surely must think it: “This
must be the real deal for people to give away
so much of their own money. They must really
believe this stuff. The God they worship and
serve must be incredibly powerful to make
people so generous.”

10. Giving praises God’s character

Giving in a right spirit is an act of worship. It is
rendering Him a tribute of praise. It is saying.
“You gave me everything and here is a small
expression of my gratitude and praise for all
your good gifts. It’s only a token, a sample of
what I really feel, but you know the heart that
lies behind it. As David sang: “What shall I
render to the Lord for all his benefits towards
me?” (Psalms 116:12)

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