There’s a definite correlation between giving and receiving, and I believe it’s universal. Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Chocoholic, this is just the way God originally designed the world to work. Period.

When we give passionately and sacrificially, focusing on the needs of others as opposed to our own, we will be blessed. Incredibly, astoundingly, jaw-droppingly blessed.

Whether it’s in the areas of finances, relationships, books, music or whatever, I believe you will reap what you sow. What’s more, you will reap MORE than you sow. A lot of other books have touched on this, but they all point to one thing: what Jesus said is absolutely true.

Luke 6:38 “ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Here’s a few other key Scriptures to meditate on. (Yes, I said “meditate.” Deal with it.)

1 Corinthians 4:7,8 “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings.“

Guess what? Everything you have in this life? God gave it to you. Your house? Your car? Your books and CDs and computers and STUFF? Yeah. Gifts from God.

“But,” you stammer, “That’s not right! I bought that stuff with MY money! That I earned with my hard work!” Uh-huh. And who provided you with your job? Your livelihood? Who gave you the skills to make that money? The hands to do your work? The mind? The body? The very breath you’re breathing right now?

That’s right, Buttercup. You’re not the self-made success you thought you were. Everything you have is a gift, but here’s the kicker: the more you share your gifts, the more gifts you get to share. Yeah, I know. He’s a crazy giver, our God. Insanely generous, some might say.

2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.“

Again, this is a universal truth. What you spread around is what’s gonna come back to you. Call it a boomerang effect, call it karma, call it whatever you want, but the truth is right there in God’s word: we will reap what we sow in this life.

What we fail to grasp is the fact that we are ALWAYS sowing. Constantly. Everything that we think, say or do is planting a seed that will grow and sprout and – for better or worse – produce a harvest just like the original kernel. That’s why it’s so incredibly important to pay attention to what you’re thinking, to filter out and uproot those negative thoughts that pop into your head. Just because their seeds fall onto the fertile ground of your mind doesn’t mean you have to till the soil, stuff ‘em down and fertilize them. Heck no! Snatch ‘em up and throw ‘em away! YOU get to choose what you plant. It’s YOUR garden. (It’s Your Life.)

2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 11 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Do I believe God wants us rich? Without question. But not in the way the world defines “rich.” You see, the world says you’re rich when you’ve got the nice house (or a couple on each coast), the fancy cars, the latest and greatest toys and gadgets and all the money you could ever spend on yourself. I don’t think this is what God has in mind when He wants to bless us. In fact, I believe it’s pretty much the exact opposite. I believe God wants to outrageously bless us so that we in turn can become outrageous blessings to OTHERS.

People often misquote 1 Timothy 6:10 and say that money is the root of all evil. It’s not. Money’s neutral, a tool that can be used for God’s glory or our detriment. Financial prosperity and wealthy abundance for each one of us? God’s all for it. And here’s why: because when we’re so self-centered on our own “lack” and focus only on what we think we DON’T have in life (money, cars, stuff), it has a two-fold effect.

First, we give end up giving power to the perpetual wheel that’s running in the background of our lives. We say we don’t have enough? Guess what? You’re never gonna have enough. Just like it says in Proverbs 18:21, you get what you say. And your words have more power than you realize.

Secondly, if we have the constant mindset that we ourselves are just barely making it, frantically scrambling about financially and thinking we never have enough, then guess what? The idea of giving to someone else isn’t a high priority on our To Do list. We’re not going to even consider giving something of value to someone else if we’re convinced that we are the ones who are in desperate need.

And that’s a really sad mindset to have. Because as the Bible makes perfectly clear, we can only reap what we sow in the first place. Think about it. A farmer doesn’t just wander out to harvest a field of bare dirt. He plants the seeds well ahead of time, knowing they’ll one day product a crop of whatever he planted. So if you’re not sowing seeds financially? If you’re not passionately giving to someone or somewhere else that you see has a need? Buddy, you’re never going to reap a financial harvest. Ever.

I’m convinced that that’s not what God wants for us. He wants to make us rich. Every single one of us. And He doesn’t want to do it so we can buy all the bling we want in life. He wants to do it so what we will be positioned to share what He’s given us with others. He wants to bless us to be a blessing.

So let go of that bucket mentality you’ve got. Punch a few holes in that sucker, and watch as the blessings He’s about to unleash on you overflow and spill and spurt out in every direction, drenching everyone you come in contact with. God wants you to be a sprinkler, not a sponge. Stop soaking it all up for yourself and start actively spreading it around to those in need, to the people He places in your path each day. Give It Away. Intentionally. Passionately.

Trust me when I promise you this: You Will Be Blessed.

- Kevin

Recommended Reading:

God’s Plan for Your Money – Derek Prince

The Treasure Principle – Randy Alcorn

The Greatest Money-Making Secret In History – Joe Vitale

Give to Life: How Giving Can Change Your Life – Douglas Lawson

Can’t Take It With You: The Art of Making and Giving Money – Lewis B. Cullman

The Generosity Factor – Ken Blanchard, S. Truett Cathy

The Storehouse Principle – Al Jandi, Van Crouch

How To Solve All Your Money Problems Forever – Victor Bloc

Recommended Sermons:

Note: Be forewarned. These messages have the power to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. So if you’re tired of going through the financial wringer and ready to experience a dynamic shift in your thinking about giving, then buckle up. You’re about to be blessed.

LifeChurch.tv “Blessed”

LifeChurch.tv “How to BE Rich”

LifeChurch.tv “The Blessed Life.”

As I considered the idea of passionate giving, I asked myself, “What am I passionate about?” Well, if you’ve ever been to my house a quick glance around my office answers that question. It’s books. I’m passionate about Books. I love to read. A lot.

That’s when I came up with a plan.

As a longtime member of “PaperBackSwap.com”:http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=2&r_by=jackardiac, I’m constantly mailing books to other members in exchange for credits. I can then use these credits to request books that I want to read (and keep). So I decided I would conduct an experiment. Instead of the standard exchange where I’d get a credit for each book I send out, I decided I would start giving away extra books to requestors, at no charge to them. Just to see what would happen.

I began with a total of 6 credits in my account. On my next incoming book request, I made my unheard of offer to the requestor: “Feel free to choose 2 more books. On the house.” I explained that I’d send them some of MY credits to reimburse them, and they’d end up getting 3 books for the cost of 1 credit. Granted, it cost me 2 of my own credits and a few extra cents to ship ‘em via Media Mail, but the benefits quickly became clear. Not only would I get those 3 credits BACK when they made their requests, but I’d feel good, knowing I was able to give books away, showing a total stranger some unmerited favor and kindness.

So I did this repeatedly, giving people extra books as my personal credit amount would allow. You’ll recall how I started with 6 credits? Well, within 3 short weeks of this giving spree I ended up with a total of 21 credits in my account. Twenty-one! That was more than I’d ever seen at one time in my entire 3 years of being a site member!

How did this happen? Well, for one thing, a lot of the requestors went on to pick MORE than the extra books I offered to cover. So just making the offer it resulted in more books being requested in the end, which meant more credits for me to share. Secondly, and more interestingly, I had a sudden increase in book requests. More and more people were requesting books, so I was suddenly receiving a windfall of credits.

I’ve since found I don’t even have to make the OFFER to get this giving stuff to work. Sometimes just the THOUGHT ALONE is enough to jump start things. Just last Friday night I was looking at my account and saw I was down to a measly 5 credits. I thought to myself “Man, looks like it’s time for me to give some books away.” The very next day I received an e-mail from a woman who sent me a list of 11 books she wanted, and was wondering if I’d be willing to “make a deal” with her.

I was. 11 books for the price of 5. It’ll be interesting to watch my credit amount soar once again (and I fully expect it will).

Kevin

Update: Just this week I had another example of how outrageous giving resulted in amazing results. I had a request come in from a club member named Kathleen, and I made the same offer to her: pick an extra book on me. She did, and we thankful for it. As I later browsed her Wishlist (books she’d like to receive some day, but is in a waiting line for each one), I noticed she was wishing for Max Lucado’s “Fearless.”

I had received that very book back in August as a blog reviewer, and was kind of underwhelmed by it. Because I had underlined in it, however, I wasn’t able to put it in the system for other people to request it. When I saw it was on her wishlist, however, I wrote to her and offered it to her for free, if she was interested in it (rather than her having to wait months or years for her request to rise to the top of the queue). I also offered her my copy of his book, “Facing Your Giants.”

She graciously accepted my offer. So in essence she was going to get 4 books for me for the cost of 1 credit. Not a bad deal. But then the unexpected happened.

You see, Kathleen decided to browse MY Wishlist as well, and in doing so she found that SHE in turn had 2 of the books I’ve been wishing for (but was facing a long wait in the queue.) And since they weren’t entered into the system, she was free to offer them to me outright as well, without charging me a single credit.

So… here’s the recap. She requests one book, and winds up with four, skipping a long wait for two of them. I, in return, will receive two books on my wishlist (which I’d have ALSO been waiting a long time to receive) for the cost of nothing.

See how that works?

Even if we don’t fully understand HOW outrageous giving works, we can still understand and practice this truth: It Works. And it works wonders, often in unexpected ways.

(More to come, so stay tuned.)