The Bible makes it clear that it is better to give than to receive. But the question remains, “Why?” Christmas is full of giving, and the Christian would be wise to study the subject during such a season. God gave us the greatest gift of all. Jesus has been given to the world, and salvation has come. Now the Christian must seek to walk as God would desire. Giving should be on the heart of the Christian, not because giving is what the culture does during Christmas, but because giving is what God has done and commanded.
The giving of Christ to man came at a cost. So will the giving of the Christian one to another. This does not mean the Christian should disregard wisdom and throw out his budget. However, it does mean that God should be at the forefront of the Christians’ mind this Christmas as the Christian seeks to give.
Blessing comes with giving
Why is it better to give than to receive? Scripture says, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor…” (KJV, Ps. 41:1). The Bible tells us that giving leads to blessedness.
The Hebrew word that is translated as blessed is esher which speaks of the happiness of the blessed one. It is as though the Psalmist said, “How happy is he that considers the poor.”
The workings of God tend to go against the natural bent of man. Therefore, while it may seem that holding on to money and wealth will bring about a sense of happiness, it will only bring about a desire for more wealth. True happiness regarding wealth and prosperity comes by using the gift of money which God has given in a way that God would be pleased.
Scripture says, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this also is vanity” (Eccl. 5:10). Later, we are told that Solomon saw a grievous evil which is common among mankind. Solomon tells us of a man whom God had given riches and wealth to the point where the man wanted nothing. He then goes on to say, “… yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof…” (Eccl. 6:2). Simply put, God does not give the rich man power to enjoy his wealth when he is not rich toward God.
True happiness concerning riches will only come when someone learns to give as God gave.
Deliverance comes with giving
Not only does happiness come with giving, but God tells us that He will deliver the generous giver. Scripture says, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” (Ps. 41:1). Here we see that Psalm 41:1 has more to say about the matter of giving being more of a blessing than receiving.
The one who learns to give to those in need will find that he will be delivered during times of trouble. You might be thinking to yourself, “What is the connection here?” The connection is that when someone learns to deliver others during times of trouble, God will surely deliver the one who practices deliverance.
When someone is poor and in need of help, it is an act of deliverance to supply the poor man’s needs. God responds to this type of activity positively and works deliverance for the deliverer.
Richness comes with giving
Not only do blessedness and deliverance come with giving, but so do riches. You might be reading with caution after hearing such words. However, the Bible says, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Prov. 11:25). At the outset, it is important to note that this passage is a Proverb. When interpreting the Proverbs, it is helpful to recognize that they are not absolute promises. Instead, the Proverbs should be seen as general truths. In other words, the Proverbs tell us what usually occurs, not what will always happen.
As a result, Proverbs 11:25 does not tell us that someone will always have money when he gives money. The rest of the Bible should also be considered when interpreting the Scripture. The Bible clarifies that Jesus did not have riches in this life. There will be times when people give, and they will not see a return on their investment in this life.
However, God the Father is a gracious giver, and when people seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, they should believe that God will take care of their needs. God will supply the needs of the one who gives generously. At the same time, stories such as when Jesus told people to sell all they had and distribute the proceeds should not be taken as commands for everyone but are unique in nature.
The Christian must determine in his heart what he ought to give and trust in God to provide for his needs. But Proverbs 11:25 speaks about more than material wealth. The Proverb speaks of the “liberal soul” as the giving agent. Thus the soul will be made fat. This means that the one who gives will grow spiritually as he is fed through obedience to God’s Word.
Light comes with giving
Not only does blessedness, deliverance, and riches come with giving but so does light. Scripture says, “And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and the darkness be as the noon day” (Is. 58:10). So here we see that giving will be blessed with light.
The world is full of darkness. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that Satan has blinded the mind of the unbeliever. In Philippians, Paul tells us to live in this world without grumbling and arguing, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). The world needs to see the light of Christ. The Christian is said to be a light in this world, but only when the Christian learns to reflect the light of Christ.
When the Christian learns to give as God gives, he will find the light of Christi shining through his life.
Trust comes with Giving
It is hard to know all the ways it is better to give than to receive. In actuality, nobody can truly know everything on the matter this side of heaven. We cannot fathom what God has in store for the redeemed. So sometimes, we need to simply trust what Jesus says.
The Bible tells us, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). So at the end of the day, the Christian must learn to trust the simple words that it is more of a blessing to give than to receive.
God has given His Word, and His Word can be trusted. God cannot lie, and His words are pure. Therefore, the Christian must learn to trust in the God of the Bible. If your faith is lacking, look no further than Jesus. Call out to Jesus, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He will not stand by idly when someone approaches the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in a time of need.
If you do not know how to believe, look to Jesus and do not take Your eyes off Him. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and the people looked to the bronze serpent in faith to live, so look to Jesus with the eyes of faith, and He will help you live as well.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for giving me the greatest gift of all, Your Son. Thank You for giving me the gift of salvation. Work in my heart this Christmas and help me to honor You in my giving. Help me to be like You, Lord. I need Your help this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.