Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

In this passage, Christ is instructing us on our attitude that we need to maintain when we are giving unto the Lord. Throughout scripture, God is very clear that we are supposed to give unto the Lord both tithe and offerings. Christ knows that those hearing these words where obedient to God in giving, the problem was, they did their giving in such a way that God was not receiving the glory.

From the very beginning, we see men giving unto the Lord. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. One day we find that both Cain and Abel were making offerings unto the Lord with the fruits of their hands. However, because Cain did not have a right attitude towards God, his offering was rejected while Abel’s offering was accepted.

Cain became upset because his offering was not accepted by God. God appeared unto Cain and told Cain that if he did well, his gift would have been accepted. Cain did not heed the words of God and chose to kill his brother rather than change his life. Cain became a cursed man and eventually, all of his decedents were killed in the flood.

Scripture tells us the story of the widow with two mites. This woman went and gave all that she had to the Lord. Because she did not have much, she did not make a big deal out of her gift. That day, there were many rich people who made great shows of all the money that they were giving unto the Lord. However, they were giving out of their excess rather than giving their first fruits. Christ saw what the widow gave and God recognized her for her generous gift.

Giving should be a part of your spiritual walk with God. Giving must always be given from your first fruits. Do not wait for God to bless you before you have enough money to give to God. Instead, learn to trust in God and give to HIM first and see how God can bless you afterwards. However, do not be presumptuous; do not give to some particular work because some television evangelist says he is doing the work of God and that if you give to his ministry God will bless you 100 times. Instead, you need to stop and take the time to cry out to God in prayer and ask who else God desires you to give unto. There are many ministries out there doing the work of God but that does not mean that you are called to give unto them all.

The reason you give is not to receive some special book that is being offered as a part of your gift. The reason you give is not to receive some special letter from your favorite ministry which thanks you for your generous gift. The reason you give is not so your friends think that you are such a great Christian. Instead, the reason you give should be in obedience to God and so that HE is the One who is pleased with your life.

If you are giving to God your tithe and offerings – good for you. However, you need to examine your life and make sure that you are giving for the right reasons. Are you taking the time to hear the voice of God so that you give in secret so your Heavenly Father can reward you openly?

If you have been making gifts for the wrong reasons, you do not need to stop giving unto the Lord, instead you need to exercise self-control and allow God to direct your steps. By adding temperance to your life, you can change your focus from seeking the praises of men to seeking the praises of God. Change your focus to be heavenly minded here on this earth.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Two men went up to pray, one man was a religious leader and the other was a lowly tax collector. The religious leader was quick to draw attention to himself and he was quick to tell God all the good and religious things that he did in the name of God. The lowly tax collector simply asked God to be merciful with him because he was a sinner. Jesus tells us that it is the humble tax collector that God will exalt.

In this passage, Jesus teaches us that those who are poor in spirit will be blessed. One who is poor in spirit is one who understands that they have not, nor could they ever earn their salvation. One who is poor in spirit is like the tax collector who understands that they are not worthy to stand before a Holy God who will actually receive the true blessings of what God has to offer them here on this earth.

One day Jesus observed a widow giving her last two mites. Jesus told his followers that this widow gave more than all the rich people who had gave out of their abundance. The rich may have given more money, but in heavenly currency, they had not given very much because they gave of their abundance and not from their heart.

Do you understand what it means to be poor in spirit? Are you willing to live your life totally abandoned unto God? Are you willing to admit that you cannot earn your salvation nor is there anything that you can do to earn the good graces of God?

It does not matter what you say, down deep in the depths of your heart, you want to earn your salvation. There is something about the sin nature of man that feels like you have to do something in order to earn your way to heaven.

Christ is clear that it is the poor in spirit who obtain the kingdom of heaven. If you desire to obtain the kingdom of heaven, then it is time for you to change your life and it is time for you to start living by the standards of God rather than live by the standards of this world.

Are you the religious leader or are you the tax collector when it comes time to pray? Do you pride yourself in all the things that you do for God or are you simply willing to pray for HIS mercy because you understand that you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? Are you the widow who is willing to give all that you have to God or are you like the rich individuals who only are willing to give out of your abundance?

It is not easy to be poor in spirit. To be poor in spirit, you must learn to focus upon the perfect standard of God and realize just how unholy you are. Stop comparing yourself to the people of the world and instead focus upon the fact that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Once you understand just how unworthy you are without the blood of Jesus Christ, then you can be ready to obtain the true gift of the kingdom of heaven.

Be diligent to add temperance to your life. The things of this world will be quick to draw your attention away from the perfect standard of God. The things of this world will try to distract you by causing you to be proud of your religious standards. By learning to focus upon God, you will be ready to live your life as God desires you to live your life. Learn to be least here on this earth so that God can make you great where it really matters.

Genesis 47:7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

Jacob understood the importance of a blessing. Jacob stole his brother’s blessing when he deceived his father by pretending he was Esau. The night before he saw Esau again after 20 years of living with Laban, Jacob wrestled all night with a man and he refused to let go until this man blessed him. This time, Jacob is no longer asking for the blessing but instead is giving the blessing to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh has just given Jacob and his family the land of Goshen. Jacob came before Pharaoh and he reaches out to Pharaoh and shows his appreciation by pronouncing a blessing. Scripture does not reveal to us the exact words of the blessing, but scripture tells us twice in this chapter that Jacob came and blessed Pharaoh.

We have all heard the saying that it is better to give then to receive. When Jacob was pursuing his own agenda, he was out to receive gifts from others. Now that Jacob was Israel, he was looking for opportunities to give blessings to other.

There will be times in your life where you really need spiritual food. However, there will also be times where God is going to bring people into your life so that you can disciple them. You need to be looking for opportunities that you can be a blessing to others. You need to listen to God so as to be able to hear the words that you need to speak to others so as to encourage them and to cause them to draw closer to God.

When you were a child, Christmas was a time where you received a lot of presents. Maybe you gave a present or two, but you were more interested in your next gift rather than seeing the joy others received in opening your present. As you grew older, purchasing the perfect gift for someone became more enjoyable and your main anticipation was waiting to see the reaction of your love one when they opened your gift to them.

Spiritually, we need to mature. No longer should our focus be upon what we can receive from others. For three years, the disciples followed Jesus around. Once Jesus ascended up into heaven, Christ had commanded these disciples to go and teach. The disciples no longer could rely upon Jesus being right beside them; the disciples had to spiritually mature and they had to be the ones feeding the spiritual needs of others rather than being fed themselves.

When you go to church, your focus should not be based upon what you are receiving. Instead, your focus should be upon how you can help met the needs of others. All around you are people who need encouragement to hear your testimony so that they can realize the presence of God.

As long as you are seeking your own, you will not be in a position that you can bless others. By adding temperance to your life, you can change your focus upon your own needs to the needs of others. Rather than focusing upon what you can receive, you need to be focused upon what God desires you to do so as to help those around you.

Jacob was a changed man. He had lived a full life and now he no longer was concerned about what more he could receive in his lifetime. God had shown him a lot and it was now important for him to reach out and touch others so that they might learn about the One True God.

Genesis 43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

Joseph had made a gift to his brothers by returning their money unto them. When the brothers questioned Joseph’s steward about the money being in their sacks, the steward stated that he had received their money and that it must have been a gift from God.

Joseph could have taken credit for returning the money to his brothers. Most people when they make a large gift do not do it in such a way that God receives the glory. However, this is exactly what Christ commands us to do in the Sermon on the Mount. Christ commanded us that we are to make our gifts in secret so that our heavenly father may see and reward us openly.

The return of the money was a gift. Joseph did not want the credit for this gift. Instead, Joseph desired that God receive the credit. Joseph desired that his brothers turn their attention to God and realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob loved them and desired to have a personal relationship with them. By returning the money to his brothers, Joseph desired to show to his brothers that God is alive and that HE was looking to protect them.

If Joseph took the glory for returning the money, his brothers would never have had their focus drawn to God as their provider. Had Joseph made himself known unto his brothers, they would have expected that their food would be free. Joseph was wise in how he handled the situation so that it was God who received the glory.

When God brings to your attention someone who has a need that you are able to meet, you need to take the time to see how you can meet this need so that God receives the glory. Ask God to show you how you can meet the need in a unique way so that the receiver of the gift does not know that you were the one who made the gift. If you succeed in giving in secret, then you have position yourself so that God can reward you openly.

You like to hear people sing your praises. You love it when people pat you on the back and say job well done. You desire for others to recognize the good things that you have done. It takes a lot of faith to do something that only God sees. Nonetheless, this is what Joseph did and this is what God expects you to do. God desires that those who are called by HIS name to live their lives for HIM in such a way that those around you see the light of God reflecting through your life. When people look at you, they should see God and their attention should be drawn to HIM. God is alive and powerful; how will the world know this unless you draw their attention unto HIM.

The desire for praise is very strong. When we are contemplating what we are going to do, it is often in the forefront of our minds. However, God does not want your focus to be upon the praises of man. This is why God desires you to diligently add temperance to your life. By focusing your attention upon the desires of God, you will find the freedom to live your life so that God receives the glory for your actions.

The brothers of Joseph were ready to make restitution for the money that was returned unto them. However, Joseph had instructed his steward to focus his brother’s attention back to God. You need to take the time to focus others attention to God. You need to think of ways that you can give gifts in secret so that your Father which is in heaven can reward you openly. It is not about you and what you can get for yourself; it is about HIM.

Acts 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so laboring 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.

What is your attitude? Are you constantly looking to see what you can get from others or do you have a mindset of what you can give to meet the needs of others. God has given you time, talent, and treasure. The choice is yours how you spend your time, talent, and treasure. You can spend it upon yourself, or you can spend it upon others.

Christ taught us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. When your focus is upon the things of God, it is easier to give up your time, talent, and treasure to others so that God may be magnified through you. However, when your focus is upon the things of this world, all of a sudden, your focus is on how you can use your time, talent, and treasure to benefit yourself and to obtain possessions from this world.

Paul understood that he was supposed to be gathering spiritual treasures while upon this earth. Paul could have had a focus upon how much money was in his pocket, how many disciples followed him, how many people he baptized, or how many churches that he had started. However, this was not the focus of Paul; instead, Paul had a focus upon fulfilling the perfect will of God. When Paul saw someone who had a need, he remembered the words of Christ and he saw how God might use him to meet that need.

Paul was not focused upon numbers; he was focused upon doing the perfect will of God. He understood the principle of laying up treasures in heaven while he was here on this earth. Paul was not focused upon the things of this world and what he might obtain. Because he kept his focus upon the things of God, he was able to have a powerful ministry that affected the lives of millions.

Where is your focused here on this earth? Are you focused upon the things that this world has to offer you and how you might be able to obtain more of them? Or are you focused upon the things of this world and how God can use your worldly possessions to draw the attention of those around you to the power of God?

How do you spend your time? Are you looking for people who have needs so that you can reach out to them to them and minister to them with your time? How about the talents that God has given to you? Are you looking for ways that you can use your talents to minister unto the people of God? How about your treasures? Are you looking for ways that you can use your earthly treasure to give to those who have needs or to those who are actively involved in the work of God?

Your focus cannot be upon the things of this world. Every day you must make a decision that you are going to pursue the things of God. This means that you need to allow God to change your attitude and your focus. This means that you must demonstrate self-control by saying no to the things of this world and yes to the things of God.

By diligently adding temperance to your life, you are taking the steps necessary to change your focus from the things of this world to the things of God. By adding temperance to your life, you change your focus from yourself to doing the perfect will of God. By adding temperance to your life you change your focus from what you can obtain to what you can give.

Acts 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

The disciples in Antioch heard that there was going to be a famine throughout the entire world. Antioch was a part of the world and as such, that would mean that the famine would be hitting them too. However, rather than hoard their possessions, they did the exact opposite. The disciples in Antioch were more concerned about the needs of their brothers than they were about their own needs and they gave according to their ability to take care of the believers elsewhere.

If you knew that there was going to be a major economic downturn and that you could suffer greatly, would you be sending your extra money to missionaries abroad? When times get tough, that is when you learn where your heart really is. It is easy to give of your abundance to missionaries. As long as God is blessing you, giving that small amount to some missionary is really painless and makes you feel like you are doing something for the Lord.

Remember the widow who gave her two mites to the work of God. Christ commended her because she gave all that she had to the Lord rather than the rich who dropped in great sums of money but were only giving out of their abundance.

Your heart is where your treasure is. If your heart is in your earthly treasures, then you will never be able to give all of your heart to the Lord. Follow the example of the believers in Antioch who gave according to their ability to the needs of others. It is the believers in Antioch who demonstrate true Christianity and why they were first call Christians in Antioch.

Do you completely trust God? It is easy to say that you trust God but to act like Ananias and Sapphira who held a little bit back. It is easy to say that you trust God but when the offering plate comes by you turn the other way and only drop a small amount in.

Yes there are cons out there who are always trying to get your money and you have to show discernment as to who you give to and when and in what amounts. That is why it is so important to have a close relationship with God. If you know that you can clearly hear God and you have given HIM all your heart, when the Lord tells you to give, you are in a position that you can freely give that which the Lord has blessed you with knowing that God will take care of your needs.

If your heart is for the treasures of this world you will never be free to give according to the directions of the Lord. The Lord knows where your treasure is and where your heart is also. The Lord desires to be the center of your life and as such, HE may test you from time to time to ensure that you are willing to give up the things of this world in order to have a closer relationship with HIM. God tested Abraham and God tested Job, why do you act like God would never ask you to completely trust HIM by taking care of the needs of others during the financially difficult times that you face?

The more that the things of this world control you, the harder it will be to completely trust God when your test comes. That is one reason why temperance is something you need to add to your life daily. Temperance requires that you say no to the things of this world. The more you say no to the things of this world, the easier it will be to say yes to God and HIS perfect will for your life. Trust in God and let HIM be the center of your life.

Matthew 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

This verse has two different commandments by Christ for you to live by. The first command is that you are to give to the poor, and the second command is that when you give, you are to give in such a way that others give you praise for your actions.

Hardly a day goes by that you cannot look in the news and see some rich individual giving some large gift to a group who takes care of the needs of others. This individual is receiving the praises of men by all the publicity that they are receiving. While it is a nice thing to give to the needs of others, God does not want you to give so that you receive the praise.

You must remember the reasons why you are supposed to give to the needs of others. One reason is because you are obeying God. God desires that you take care of the needs of others as a reminder to you of all the good things that HE has done for you. HE desires that you remember that HE is the giver of all good things and that as you are generous and take care of the needs of others; HE will be able to bless you in ways that you never imagined.

If you are obeying God for the wrong reasons, God no longer has a desire to bless you. Scripture is full of examples of individuals who did the right thing for the wrong reasons and did not receive the full blessings of God. Christ is making sure that our attitudes are right towards God and that we understand that we not only do the right thing, but that we do it for the right reasons.

During the life of Jesus, we learn about the widow and her two mites. This widow quietly gave all that she had and Christ proclaimed that she gave more than all the rich individuals who proudly proclaimed the size of their gifts. We do not know exactly how this widow was blessed for her proper gift, but we do know that while man did not recognize her for her sacrifice, God did, and that is the most important thing.

Most people falsely believe that as long as they do the right thing, God will be happy and God will reward them. However, it is very clear by the study of the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount that God is not only concerned about your actions, but that HE is even more concerned with your heart. God desires that you not only do the right thing but that you do it for the right reasons.

God is concerned about your heart. God desires that you give, but if you desire to receive HIS recognition, then HE expects you to not only do as HE says, but to do it in such a way that HE receives the glory. It is our pride that causes us to desire to obtain for ourselves recognition for the things that we do. However, God resists the proud and gives grace unto the humble. Until you are able to get yourself out of the way of God and allowing HIM to work through you, you will never fully experience all that HE can do through you.

You must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. When you understand the ways of God, then you understand the importance of having a pure heart, a heart that is concerned for pleasing God. If the things of this world are more important to you than the things of God, you have your priorities wrong and you will not be able to enjoy the full blessings that God has for you.

Proverbs 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

There are better ways to please the Lord than bringing sacrifices. It is true that we do not offer sacrifices of animals as the Jews did in the Old Testament. However, this verse is still applicable to our lives today. Have you ever tried to deal with God by saying you would give up something in order to receive the favor of the Lord? Maybe you are like the religious leaders during the time of Jesus who were so proud of all the fasting and praying that they were doing. Maybe the sacrifice you make is all the money you give to help the church or the needy.

While there is nothing wrong with fasting and praying or giving to the Lord, if you are doing it for sacrifice sack, in order to obtain something from the Lord, you may not be blessed the way you desire to be blessed. God does not want you to be making sacrifices just so that you can claim to be spiritual. God will accept your sacrifice if they are done for the right reason.

While sacrifices for the right reason are good, there is something else that God would rather you do that is even more important to HIM. God would rather see you do justice and judgment. If you are being unfair to others yet giving great sums of money to God, the light of your life will be very dim and your influence on the world will be weak. If you show partiality to others but try to make it up by fasting and praying, again, those who feel slighted by you will not see you reflecting the light of God and will not be impressed by your great spirituality.

God desires that you change your life and the way you live. This means that you need to understand how you are interacting with others. It does not matter if you can say all the right thing or do everything that causes the choir to say amen, if the world cannot see the light of God in your life, you will not be able to persuade them that you have anything worthwhile to offer them.

Cain was a man who was making sacrifices to God. However, God did not accept the sacrifice of Cain. God told Cain that if he did well, then his sacrifice would be acceptable. The lesson from Cain is simple, God expects us to change who we are and how we live. If we are not allowing God to change us for HIS glory, then all the things that we do in the name of religion are as worthless rags.

Ananias and Sapphira planned on making a great sacrifice to the Lord. They sold some land that they had and they were going to give the money to the work of the Lord. Ananias and Sapphira kept back some of the money but told Peter that the money they were giving was 100% of the sale price. God did not care about the large sacrifice being made by Ananias and Sapphira. The fact that the couple were trying to lie and obtain the praises of man was enough to cause the Lord to strike them dead.

Your sacrifices to the Lord will always be worthless as long you are not living according to HIS standards. The more time you spend adding knowledge of the ways of God, the easier it will be for you to understand just how God desires you to live. God will accept your sacrifice when your heart is pure before HIM. Solomon made a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord and God not only accepted the offering, but also gave Solomon anything he desired. The heart of Solomon was right before God and he asked God for wisdom rather than riches, honor, or long life. It is important that you live your life in a manner that is pleasing to God.

Matthew 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ commands us to not make a big deal about the money we give. Christ explains how the hypocrites brag about their gifts and make sure everyone knows that they are giving to God. Those who brag about how much they give may receive admiration from those around them, however, for true spiritual blessing, it is best to not let your left hand know what your right had is doing and thus allow God to reward you in heaven.

Scripture records how one day, Jesus commented about a widow which gave two mites. Jesus said that because the widow gave all that she had, she gave more than the rich men who gave more money but they simply gave out of their excess. There is a very important lesson to learn in this passage, it is not about how much you give that is important to God, what is important to HIM is the condition of your heart when you give.

When you brag about your giving, you are drawing attention to yourself and not to God. Instead, your focus should be upon God and your love for HIM. Your love for God should be so great that you are constantly trying to give to HIM your time, talent, and treasure. God loved you and that is why HE gave HIS only Son. Love is about giving – it is not about receiving the praises of others. If the reason why you give is to obtain the praises of men, you will have your reward here on this earth. Stop seeking the praises of man and start seeking to love God with all your heart.

Acts 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so laboring 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.

Paul is speaking to the elders of the church of Ephesus. Paul is reminding them of the basic fundamental truths of the Christian faith. Paul is reminding them of their responsibility to others.

There are two truths in this passage that are important that we implement in our own lives. Examine your own life to see if you are truly living these truths in your own lives. It is easy to say that you are supporting the weak and that you are giving to others, however, does the actions of your life truly demonstrate that you are living your life according to these principles?

The first fundamental principle set forth in this passage by Paul is that you ought to support the weak. As you study the New Testament, you will quickly see just how important this principle is. Paul spoke about how Christians should not partake of meat offered unto idols if it was going to cause a fellow believer to stumble. You have an obligation to God to ensure that your life does not cause others to stumble.

Jesus taught us that if we cause a little one to stumble, that we should have a millstone put around our necks and thrown into the sea. The principle of putting others before ourselves is well established in scriptures. Jesus commanded us that we are to be a light unto this world. A light is not properly doing its job if it is hidden. The light is not shining for its own benefit but is shining for the benefit of others. If you are living your life according to your own standards, your light will not be bright for others to see and be drawn to God. Instead, if you are living for yourself, others will be repulsed by the Christianity that you are offering and will want no part of it.

You need the knowledge of God in order to properly respond with all those around you. You cannot do it of your own accord. Instead, you must fully rely upon God and HIS wisdom in how you are to respond to the weaker brothers and sisters in Christ. The grace of God does not give you permission to sin anyway you want. You are accountable to God for your actions and how your actions affect others relationship with God.

The second fundamental principle set forth in this passage is the principle of giving. Jesus taught us to Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall measured to you again. (Luke 6:38). We learn that Abraham voluntarily gave tithe and offerings. Scripture tells us that we are to give to the poor and needy. Paul was supported as a missionary by the gifts of the Church.

If you are hording money, money will control your life. However, if you want to have true freedom in life, then learn to be a cheerful giver. You must live your life allowing God to control your pocketbook. Trust HIM, and learn to give to the needs of others so that in your time of need, others will give unto you. Allow God to meet your needs so that your faith in HIM grows.

Both of these fundamental principles can be boiled down to the second greatest commandment, love your neighbor as yourself. In order to love another as you love yourself, you must diligently add to your life the knowledge of the ways of God. It is only by the grace of God that you can reach out and demonstrate the love of God to another. Learn to place others before yourself. Allow God to work through you to draw others closer to HIM.

Acts 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judah.

The church in Jerusalem had sent Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the believers and to help that church grow. Then when it was made known to the church at Antioch that there was a financial need in Judah, the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul with money to meet that need. The church in Jerusalem helped the believers in Antioch with their spiritual needs and God took care of their financial needs when the time came.

When Jerusalem sent out Barnabas, they did not know that they were going to have a financial need anytime soon. The church simply saw that there was a spiritual need that they could fill. The church used its resources to provide for Antioch and God used those who were ministered too minister in return. The church in Judah had not asked for help, the church in Antioch by faith understood that there was a need and they meet it.

The church in Jerusalem demonstrated their faith by seeing the spiritual need in Antioch and they reached out and took care of that need. God blessed the faith of the Jews by taking care of their needs. The church in Jerusalem did not know that they were going to have a huge need. The church in Jerusalem did not know how they were going to have that need meet. Nonetheless, God knew, and God choose to use those very individuals who the church in Jerusalem ministered to in order to meet their needs.

The Jerusalem church was simply obeying Jesus when he said, “Give.” Because the church gave, God was able to bless the church with the promise that followed the command of Jesus. Jesus’ promise was give “and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Do you have the faith that God can meet your needs? God has a proven track record of meeting the needs of others and HE desires to do the same for you. However, in order to demonstrate HIS faithfulness in meeting your needs, HE desires to first teach you to have your own eyes open to the needs of others.

Do not wait until someone comes up to you and tells you they have a need. Instead, when God has blessed you, take the time to see how God intends for you to use your abundance to bless those who God has put into your path. Just because God has not blessed you financially, it does not mean that God cannot use you to give your time or talents.

It is your natural propensity to take what you have and use it for yourself. God however, desires to reverse your thinking which is why HE told you to give. However, before HE told you to give, HE demonstrated unconditional giving when HE sent HIS Son to die for you so that you might have fellowship with the Father. God desires that you follow HIS example of giving by meeting the spiritual and financial needs of those who God has put into your path. God does not expect you to give what you do not have, HE expects you to give in accordance with the abundance that HE has given you. In the areas that HE has blessed you, so you must be willing to use that to bless others. Give according to your abundance so that God can give to you in your area of need.