5 Extraordinary Stories About Giving

As a reader of ChristianPF, I assume that you agree with this statement: “Even if you pay off every debt, create a fully funded emergency fund, invest wisely for retirement, salve for your children’sec college fund, and pay off your solid early, you could still be missing the most important personal finance principle: giving!”

But agreeing besides becoming a zealous giver are non the same thing. Hopefully, these amazing stories will inspire yous (inwards add-on to me) to boot the bucket improve givers.

1The Man Who Gave xc Percent

R. G. LeTourneau (1888 – 1969) was a Christian industrialist who dedicated his life to “beingness a adult male of affairs for God.” He was hugely successful, designing as well as developing his possess line of globe-moving equipment.

LeTourneau was the maker of nearly 300 inventions, and had hundreds of patents in his lifetime. As he succeeded financially, he increased his giving to the signal where he was giving xc% of his income to the Lord’s travel.

I shovel out the money, together with God shovels it dorsum—but God has a bigger shovel. – R. G. LeTourneau

You may be thinking, “I could give 90% too if I was a multi-millionaire.” Maybe hence, but LeTourneau didn’t get-pop off out wealthy.

A gentle challenge: Whatever percentage of your income yous are currently giving, prepare a lifelong computer program to bump that percentage with every lead a opportunity.

twoThe Poor Widow Whose Giving Impresses Jesus

Sometimes the sacrifice speaks louder than the size of the gift, as in this story:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw inwards large amounts. But a piteous widow came and lay inward ii real brusque copper coins, worth entirely a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell yous, this pathetic widow has pose to a greater extent than into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, lay inwards everything—all she had to alive on.”

– Mark 12:41-45 NIV

Influenza A virus subtype Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 gentle challenge: Consider increasing your giving (whether money, quaternary dimension, or talents) beyond mere convenience in add-on to into the realm of sacrifice.

3The Priest of Auschwitz

During the Second World War, Polish Priest Maximilian Kolbe was arrested by the German Gestapo for hiding Jews and Polish refugees from the Nazis. When three prisoners disappeared from the Auschwitz concentration camp, the deputy camp commander issued orders to pick ten men to be starved to death in order to deter further escape attempts. One of these ten, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to yell out, “My married woman! My children! I testament never meet them over once again!” At this indicate, Kolbe stepped frontwards, removed his cap, in addition to said, “I am a Catholic Priest. Let me direct his spot. I am sometime. He has a husband as well as children.” Amazingly, the commander allowed the asking.

In the starvation jail cellular phone, he celebrated Mass each think solar xx-four hours together with sang hymns amongst his young homo prisoners. After ii weeks of dehydration as good as starvation, solely Kolbe remained hold upwards. Because the prison house mobile phone was needed for other prisoners, he was given a lethal injection. Those nowadays say he raised his left arm also calmly waited for the injection.

A gentle challenge: Keep your mind unfastened nigh how you may serve others. Avoid self-imposed limitations . . . God may accept something bigger inwards store for y'all.

4Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Pastor’s Act of Kindness Saves Three

The following story is told in more detail by Ilene Wright. Here is my abbreviated version:

Years agone, Ilene’s preacher noticed the solid unit of measurement standing inward front end of him at a New Orleans convenience store did non direct got plenty money to pay for their few items. He tapped the human on the shoulder besides said, “You don’t need to plough around, but delight have this money.” The human took the money without always seeing the preacher.

Nine years later, the pastor was invited to speak at a church building edifice inward New Orleans. After the service, a man walked upward to the preacher together with shared this story some how he had come upwards to religion inward Christ: “Several years ago, my spouse and our tyke were destitute. We had lost everything, had no jobs, no money inwards improver to were living inward our machine. We also lost all hope, inward plus to agreed to a suicide pact, including our kid. However, we decided to showtime give our boy some food, so nosotros drove to a convenience store to buy him some nutrient in plus to milk.”

“While nosotros were standing inward line at the shop, we realized that we did non take plenty money to pay for these items, but a human behind us asked us to please lead the money from his manus in add-on to non hold off at him. This human told us that ‘Jesus loves y'all.’”

“We left the shop, drove to our designated suicide site, as good as wept for hours. We couldn’t motion through amongst it, thence we drove away. As nosotros drove, we noticed a church building amongst a sign out front end which said, ‘Jesus love you.’ We went to that church building the rattling adjacent Dominicus, together with both my married adult woman together with I were saved that 24-hr interval.”

He thence told the pastor, “When you lot began speaking this morn, I knew direct that yous were the adult virile mortal who gave us that money.” How did he know? The pastor was from South Africa together with had a rattling distinct accent. He continued, “Your deed of kindness was much to a greater extent than than a elementary skilful deed. Three people are suffer today because of it.”

A gentle challenge: Maintain your spiritual antennae, remembering that God displace multiply the smallest gift many times over.

vThe Father Who Gave His Most Precious Possession

There ane time was a manlike someone parent who loved his children, but they didn’t love him. One after some other left their begetter’2d work solid, vowing never to furnish. Finally, the virile parent had a son who reciprocated that love. This boy honored, respected, too obeyed his begetter. The virile somebody parent was thrilled, but he yet mourned over his other children who had rejected him. He besides too so came up amongst a programme – a risky programme: “I testament surrender my dear boy to create room inwards my house for my wayward children to homecoming. Hopefully, they testament realize my love for them as good as come upwards upwards dorsum domicile.”

You may recognize this vignette every bit the storey told inward the book of John:

For God hence loved the populace that he gave his one together with exclusively Son, that whoever believes inward him shall non snuff it but direct maintain eternal life. – John 3:16 NIV

No listing of extraordinary giving stories could care upwards consummate without including this 1. I hope y'all concur.

A gentle challenge: Commit your family to the Lord – no strings attached.

Jesus said, “It is more than than blessed to give than to accept.” My hope is that you lot experience this blessedness that Jesus promises.

What motivates you to give? Which of these stories speaks most deeply to yous? Do you lot have got got an amazing giving story to portion? Leave a comment below!