GIVE ALWAYS

GIVE ALWAYS

You MUST Give Always, in season and out of season, that is, whether it is convenient or not, and at all times and in all places because God Almighty is able to empower us to do so.

Most of us are conversant with God's injunction such as found in 2 Corinthians 9:8, which reminds us that "God is able to bless "us" abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that "we" need, "we" will abound in every good work."

We however must understand that  it is written that God "is able" to bless "us" abundantly, and not that God "will" bless us abundantly.

Indeed God Almighty has the ability to make all grace abound to us but He needs people who consciously choose to make themselves available for His service and in turn He will make them capable enough to meet the needs of others so that they may be emancipated, His name be glorified and the willing vessel blessed.

Myriads of God's people have issues with giving, talk-less at all times. Some of these issues stem from a genuine apathy to give generously to others because of the propensity for people to abuse such opportunities.

We may have experienced or come across an account of how a person helped another who was seemingly  in need with money only to find out that the funds that were given out of genuine concern and not because one was particularly buoyant at the time, was used frivolously for another purpose entirely different from what it was requested for.

Such experiences can stop people from helping those genuinely in need but unfortunately if allowed to continue will also stop the tap of blessings from God's end to us if we refuse to render help to others as frequently as God has purposed us to.

So the question now is, "How do we get ourselves out of such dilemmas?"

We are admonished to be discerning of what God's will is so that we can know how to relate with everyone we come across accordingly and know how to dispense God's grace in its various forms but if discernment fails us the only option we have is still to give.

Our attitude at all times should be like that of Peter whose reply to a beggar expectant to get something from him and his colleague john in Acts 3:6 was, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

In this case, Peter didn't have material wealth to bless the beggar with but healing, which actually far outweighed what the invalid actually desired.

When someone requests assistance from us and we are in doubt of the veracity of it, we should never the less give and pray to God to use what was given to His glory, just in case your doubt is unfounded and more importantly, because as in 1 Peter 4:8, deep love (compassion) covers over a multitude of sins.

We must get to the point of praying to God to use the wealth given in doubt to bless the person it was given to - no matter how disingenuous the person is.

A simple but heartfelt prayer like this will suffice:
"God, If the recipient was deceptive please use the opportunity afforded me by giving to your glory to ensure that the person comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and is saved as a result. Amen"

We are admonished in Luke 16:9, to use the worldly wealth we have in our possession to gain friends for ourselves, so that when it is gone, we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

We come across so many soul-winning opportunities when people deceive and cheat us out of our God-given possessions but rather than use them to expand God's kingdom we get bitter and curse them like if the possessions lost really belong to us, and by so doing work against God's will and desire that all men be saved.

Finally, as in 

1. Matthew 5:42, 

"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."  and 

2. Luke 6:30, 

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

May God Almighty help us not to twart His will anymore, to no longer hold on tenaciously to anything we have in our possession that He has blessed us with for the sole purpose of blessing others with them, in Jesus name.

* All Scriptures quotes are from the New International Version (NIV) unless stated otherwise.