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As we look forward to Generosity Week in September this year, Pete Squires Parish Giving Officer considers the theological and spiritual basis for giving.
'It is very easy to see Christian giving as a duty and burden. But when we give out of a spiritual connection to Jesus, giving then transcends mere charity and becomes an expression of love, interconnectedness, compassion, and a commitment to making a positive change. It brings together financial actions with spiritual growth. Helping people to grow in faith, love and community through Christ. This leads to the creation of a fairer and more abundant world.'
'Giving spiritually is beyond donating money. It involves consciously sharing what we have been given through God to enhance something we believe and trust in. By doing so it enriches our lives and the lives of those who we interact with, pointing them to Christ.'
'Our giving becomes spiritual when we adopt Christlike values and use them to guide and lead our approach to our finances. We are to be generous, giving from the heart, in love and not out of a sense of duty or coercion.'
'As we give spiritually, it releases us from the need to hold on to material possessions and allows us to trust more in God’s provision and purpose. This allows our hearts to share and use our resources to further something we believe and have faith in, Jesus and his kingdom. The Gospel is a powerful and life changing message that needs to be heard. Giving spiritually aligns us with Christ and allows his generosity to flood into the advancement of his Kingdom. '
2 Corinthians 9: 6-7
Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Archdeacon Richard adds, 'The last verse of the hymn, "When I survey the wondrous cross", says:
"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all."
'How do we respond when we see for ourselves the love that Jesus poured out for us on the cross? The hymn writer concluded that such love demands everything we are in response. We give our offering because he has already given us so much more: life, hope and a future. When we talk about giving, of course we are not only talking about money. We are talking about everything we are: our God-given skills, our God-given time, our God-given personality, our God-given energy. Everything'
'When the Bible talks about money, God says, ‘Keep virtually all of it. Keep 90%.’ It’s all his anyway, but he allows us to keep all but 10%. Whatever we give to God, we give from the heart, in response to the sheer immensity of what he has already given to us.'