Let’s all snuggle up a little closer to the fire where it is a little warmer and have a nice discussion about a subject that is very close to God’s heart. I want to share with you some things that I have learned over the years that have added so much value to my personal life. Happiness in life is a very obtainable thing if a person does what God instructs him to do relative to the sharing of the blessings in his own life with other people he encounters who are less fortunate than himself.

Sharing of your personal things, finances, and benefits with other people is not a natural thing for most people to do. It just doesn’t seem to be a normal thing people willingly do without any encouragement. Pause for just a moment and look back over your own past. Even as a child, you, like most kids, were not prone to share your things with your own brothers and/or sisters. Remember the arguments and fights in which you were involved with your siblings? Remember how upset you were when you caught your own brother or sister playing with your personal things with out even so much as asking your permission to use or play with them? It didn’t take too much to disturb and/or anger you over such issues did it?

I will tell you that selfishness is the very root of all sin in life. Selfishness, by its very nature, is that condition or state in which an individual is completely “I,” “Me,” or “Mine” centered. Selfishness says that you should hurry up and first get all that there is available to get for yourself before somebody else gets any for themselves. Selfishness is that state of being or personal mindset that thinks only about what is best for you as compared to what is best for others around you…God full well knew how easily man (or woman) could get caught up in the condition of personal selfishness. He full well knew how quickly any one human being could lose sight of His purpose for their life and quickly fall back into selfishness and greed. For these precise reasons, God wrote so much about being generous, about sharing that which you have with other people, and about being very generous with the use of all your funds and assets.

Prosperity when accumulated into the hands of an individual or very small group of people is of very little value to the masses of humanity.

However, once prosperity is shared, given away, used to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others, its value is multiplied and leveraged into great assistance and extended blessings to all other people who are involved with the initial person of prosperity who willingly shared their blessing freely with other of God’s creation.

The whole concept of giving to others began long ago with the men and women of ancient times as recorded in the Old Testament Books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus:

Genesis 13 : 17
“Go walk through the length and breath of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

Genesis 20 : 16
To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

Genesis 30 : 18
Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

Genesis 38 : 28
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

Genesis 41 : 12
Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.

Genesis 49 : 28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Genesis 49 : 33
When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Exodus 20 : 12
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Leviticus 14 : 34
“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land,…..”

Leviticus 27 : 2
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value,….’ ”

Giving always has been God’s way of helping and assisting people to help each other.

In the New Testament God tells us through the Apostle Paul all about His expectations for all Christians to give to and assist the poor. It is recorded in the Book of 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, verses 1-5. In summary, Paul praises one of the early Christian communities for giving beyond their means–despite their own financial difficulties, they did not hesitate to give what they had to those in need. This is of course known as sacrificial giving. That would be giving more than you really had to give so that you yourself would end up in a level of need after you have given what you had. Such a sacrifice truly tells those who are watching that you are giving to others at the expense of yourself. It is indeed a beautiful thing to observe, and it is always greatly rewarded by your heavenly Father.

That is precisely what the Lord desires the believing Christian to always do…to give whatever they can,…whenever they can,…to any and all who are in need.

For that to actually occur, the true “believer” must possess a compassionate and giving heart. They must see other’s needs as more important than their own.

One must always keep in mind with all of their giving that obedience to the instructions of the Lord is the really important thing. God does not need our money. He is always testing us as to what He really wants,…and that is our obedience.

Remember that all that you give, you really are giving to yourself.

God’s Word tell us that whenever you give,….you shall receive. You shall receive exactly what you give out, you will receive more than the amount you gave, and you will reap your rewards only after you have freely given to others.

In other words, you shall reap that which you sow…..like kind! So sow that which you want,….and sow it abundantly,…and be patient!

Always give with a joyful heart, even if you are giving sacrificially. Always give very generously…double your giving if you want really big blessings from God. And finally always give anonymously….that way no one individual can take any credit for the giving…Give all the honor and glory to God…He desires the recognition. After all, without His enabling you to be productive in a free society there would be nothing for you to give at all.

Peace and Love to All of You………………..Poppa Bear