The Attitude of Giving

Acts 20:32–36 (NKJV)

32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.

34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.

35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

Many of us feel blessed, favoured of God when we receives something from the Lord.

Paul tells us to remember the word of the Lord Jesus that it is ore blessed to give than to receive.

In the eyes of the Lord when we are truly blessed is not when we receive but when we give.

Those who are truly blessed in the Kindom of God are those who are sacrificing, giving of themselves to whatever need of the kingdom of God as Paul was.

One reason giving is more blessed that receiving is the fact that we a recepeint of God’s blessing because we give.

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

"it will be given to you” is not what comes first but “Give”

If you want to receive, you have to seek and pursue giving. As a natural outgrowth of your pursuit of giving, you will find yourself being reciept of God’s blessing,

It is like the principle of exaltaion.

If you want to be exalted in the Kingdom of God, you don’t seek to be exalted, you seek humilty. As you humble yourself, God will exalt you and honour you.

James 4:10 “10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

But what Jesus said much more deeper than just giving, it is actually that will change our attitude and mindset as we live in the kingdom of God.

The attitude of Jesus Christ as a servant was that of giving.

Matthew 20:24–28 (NKJV)

24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

what does it mean to be a servant.

A servant is one who has the attitude of giving, one who has come to give and serve rather than being served.

A resturant

The way a waiter(servant) behaves and the way a customer behaves in a resturant is very different,

One has come to be served and the other has come to serve.

One comes with expectation and demands that he expects to be met while the other comes to serves the needs of others.

Have we come to the kindgom of God to serve or have we come to be served,

do we have the mentality what can i get from the kindgom of God or what can i give for the kingdom of God.

What can i get from my brother or sister, what can i give to my brother or sister,

What is our attitude, Have we come as receivers or givers in the Kingdom of God

Luke 22:24–30 (NKJV)

24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.

25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’

26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.

27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.

29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,

30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”