Are you a giver or a taker? If you are a Christian, you need to be a GIVER....

*This message is from Greg Laurie w/ Harvest Ministries

The Blessing of Giving

"Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."
Matthew 6:21

It was Martin Luther who said there are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, and the conversion of the purse (or wallet, as we would say today). But for many of us, this is often the last thing to change.

You can tell a lot about a person by their giving or lack thereof. You can tell a lot about someone by taking a tour of his or her checkbook, because it will reveal their real value system. Why? Because Jesus said, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be" (Matthew 6:21).

It has been said that we should give until it hurts, but in reality, it should hurt when we cease to give. We should realize what a great privilege giving is. It is also a test of our faithfulness to God. Jesus said, "And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" (Luke 16:11). Before God entrusts us with spiritual responsibility, He wants to see how we do with the temporal, financial resources and assets He has placed in our care.

As we give generously, God will return generously to us. As we give to Him from what we have received, He will meet our needs. This doesn't mean we are striking some kind of a deal with God that stipulates as we give to Him, He must give back to us in a multiplied way. Then our motives are wrong. The right motive is to say, "Lord, because You have given to me, I am gladly giving back to You." The fringe benefit is that God promises to give to you in return.