Let’s Give

“Give, and it shall be given unto you…. for with the same measure that ye mete [measure out] withal it shall be measured to you again.”* (Like 6:38)

There was once a boy who was watching his grandma scoop out ice cream for dessert. He thought she was going to give it to his sister and said, “Not so much, Grandma, not so much!” When his grandma said that it was for him, he sighed, “Oh, but it is such a little bit.” So the boy measured the little he thought his sister should have, and received the same amount for himself. Wouldn’t it have been better if he had not been so selfish?

I want to talk a little while about giving. What did Jesus promise to those that gave? Read the verse again and think about it—how much we give to others is how much Jesus says we will receive. If we give much, much will be given to us. But if we are selfish to have our own way, how much will be given us then?

Sometimes when we give, we receive things that others may not see. Daniel was given a happy heart when he gave up his own way and shared with his sister. A verse in Acts says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”* (Acts 20:35) More happiness comes from giving than from getting. If you will give to others, you will find this to be true. And there is always the reward that Jesus promised. It may be just a happy feeling in your heart, or the smile on someone else’s face, or even some kindness in return. Most of all, we are promised that we will be given in heaven according to how much we give now.

God Himself gave us a very special gift, His only Son—Jesus. God was sorry that we were doing wrong, and living bad lives. He knew we needed to be punished, but because He loved us, He sent Jesus to be punished instead.

Do you know that God wants us to give something back to Him? He wants us to give Him our hearts, so that He can make them clean and take out all the wrong. Even though Jesus was punished for us, He can’t help us do right unless we want Him to. You first have to be sorry and not want to do wrong things any more, because God hates wrong things. Don’t you want Jesus to give you a clean, good heart instead of your naughty, bad one?

When we give all our heart to God, do you know He gives us more back? He adopts us to be His very own children and live with Him in His Kingdom of Love. Isn’t that the most beautiful gift of all?