Following Jesus: Generosity - Giving with No Strings Attached

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

—Luke 6:38 NLT

God doesn’t honor selfish giving, as one bitter giver can attest:

I saw this preacher on TV, and he said God would bless me if I “sowed a seed of faith” in his ministry. So I called. Using my credit card, I pledged the amount he said: $77. A woman prayed for me and promised that if I just had faith, in seven days I would receive back $777. All I had to do was trust God and patiently wait. Well, I’ve been waiting seven weeks. All I’ve received so far is my credit card bill, plus about ten more requests for money from that preacher.

Though the Bible says God blesses us for being generous, it does not say when or how. And the reward will not always be financial. If we are giving only to get, we need to check our motives. If God doesn’t answer selfish prayer requests, why would he honor selfish giving? (See James 4:3.)

Reflection Question
How do you give without ulterior motives?

Prayer
Jesus, I want to give with no strings attached. Amen.

This blog post has been adapted from my book Following Jesus Daily Devotional. You can learn more about it here.