Why SHOULD we give?
For Your Heart
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:20–21). Our hearts naturally follow our treasure. If you buy stock in a major corporation, you’ll have a sudden interest in how that corporation is doing. If you give—and live—such that most of your treasure is waiting for you in heaven, that’s where your heart will be. Laying up treasure in heaven is one of the Bible’s main arguments for why we should give: it protects our hearts from becoming attached to the things of this world.
For Your Reward
Jesus said in Matthew 6, some things we do in this life will result in heavenly treasure. That’s the second major reason the Bible gives for why you should give: eternal reward.
For God's Glory
A third reason to give is that giving shows off the goodness and glory of God. Our hearts will swell with a desire to give when they swell with an appreciation for how amazing God is. He is the one who created all things. The goodness we enjoy in clear mountain air, in a sweet friendship, in a job well done, in a delicious meal is his goodness. And those things are merely the faintest shadows of how good he really is. His goodness, in fact, extends far beyond simply creating the world—he will also one day judge the world. He is so good that there is not one false deed that will not be exposed, not one wrong that will not be found out. One day, his righteousness will be so clear that “all nations will come and worship” him (Rev. 15:4). Even more, our God is overflowing with the goodness of mercy. While we were dead in our sins, God “made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5). While we were his enemies, God sent his precious Son to die in our place (Rom. 5:8–10). Then, having done that, he has showered blessing upon blessing on us! The blessing of adoption as his sons and daughters.
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:20–21). Our hearts naturally follow our treasure. If you buy stock in a major corporation, you’ll have a sudden interest in how that corporation is doing. If you give—and live—such that most of your treasure is waiting for you in heaven, that’s where your heart will be. Laying up treasure in heaven is one of the Bible’s main arguments for why we should give: it protects our hearts from becoming attached to the things of this world.
For Your Reward
Jesus said in Matthew 6, some things we do in this life will result in heavenly treasure. That’s the second major reason the Bible gives for why you should give: eternal reward.
For God's Glory
A third reason to give is that giving shows off the goodness and glory of God. Our hearts will swell with a desire to give when they swell with an appreciation for how amazing God is. He is the one who created all things. The goodness we enjoy in clear mountain air, in a sweet friendship, in a job well done, in a delicious meal is his goodness. And those things are merely the faintest shadows of how good he really is. His goodness, in fact, extends far beyond simply creating the world—he will also one day judge the world. He is so good that there is not one false deed that will not be exposed, not one wrong that will not be found out. One day, his righteousness will be so clear that “all nations will come and worship” him (Rev. 15:4). Even more, our God is overflowing with the goodness of mercy. While we were dead in our sins, God “made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5). While we were his enemies, God sent his precious Son to die in our place (Rom. 5:8–10). Then, having done that, he has showered blessing upon blessing on us! The blessing of adoption as his sons and daughters.