What will you do once you achieve your financial dreams?
This is what Jesus has to say to a rich man, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)
If you worked all your life to be wealthy, this doesn’t sound right. I mean, give away all that you worked for to be complete?
The bible says we have to give everything to be complete but the world today teaches the opposite. So, if you have great possessions, are you doomed to be incomplete?
Okay, before giving away all you have, let us examine what rich people have when Jesus spoke these words about 2000 years ago. They have lands, farms, livestock, crops, herds, servants and gold.
Today, rich people have lands, farms, livestock, crops, herds, butlers and maids, and hedge funds plus mansions, exotic cars, luxury yacht, private jet, private island and so on.
An average person today would own a house, a car, a smartphone, a computer and a wifi for posting pictures in Facebook.
Question: Are you willing to give up all these things to be complete?
Using my limited wisdom, I don’t think God wants us to literally sell all our possessions to be complete. Depending on your vocation in life, this will determine your interpretation on the meaning of this verse. A Benedictine monk can literally follow this teaching without any difficulty but for a family man, this is difficult to discern.
As a family man myself, my primary vocation is to be a good provider for my family. I also have big dreams in life and one of them is to empower the next generation and leave a good legacy behind. To be able to do this, I need resources and one of them are my possessions.
If you ask me, when your possessions are the reason why you could not follow God, that’s the time when you can never be complete. If you are too attached to your material things, your possessions, you won’t have treasures in heaven.
For me, I chose to gain all I can, I choose to save all I can so I can give as much as I can. If I keep all my possession for myself, I’m just building a wall that will eventually prevent me to see what is most important in my life. Every time I give, a brick is removed from that wall and I begin to see the true beauty of life. I believe this is God’s purpose for me.
When you give, expect nothing in return. Give with your whole heart and give cheerfully!
You give because you know it is the right thing to do.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
What inspires me to give all I can to God is found in the book of Malachi. In this book, God challenged the Israelites (all of us) to test Him. It says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-11)
By tithing, God opens the windows of heaven for us! And there’s more — it guarantees the protection and preservation of what we are building here in earth!
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)
There you go!
Don’t worry how much you will give, because the more you give, the more you will receive.
Earlier in my life, I was not a very generous person. I say this because true generosity is completely selfless. I thought I am better off spending my money for myself rather than sharing it. I was so attached with money.
True giving comes with no strings attached. You focus on the needs of others while leaving your own desires behind.
Giving is not only about sharing your possessions. You can also share your time and talents.
In my case, I use my time and talent by blessing others through my blogs (considering it’s my birthday – Oct 22, I should be having a good time but instead I’m writing for you). For more than 6 years, I’m very blessed to say that it has been a source of inspiration for many people around the world.
When you find fulfillment in giving using your time, talent and resources, your world will never be the same again.
A lot of people are terrified to give because giving requires you to take away something from yourself. But you know what, I wish I could share something about the benefits of hoarding your wealth but I still have to find a person who have self-worth by being selfish. Greedy people may have net worth but zero self-worth. They will never have contentment.
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (1 Timothy 6:6-7, 17-19)
Give all you can for God and everything will be added unto you!
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
May God open the windows of heaven and pour out His abundant blessings into your life until it overflows.
God is the greatest!