Should Our Giving Be Motivated By Rewards?

westhat was your immediate response to the title of this post? My guess is that most of you thought, “No way! Giving should be totally pure … amongst absolutely no self serving motives. After all, isn’t Agape dear that pure dearest that expects absolutely zilch inward render?” Do you know what? I thought the same affair, but I direct proceed a dilemma — how do nosotros foursquare these high minded notions of giving alongside these words from Jesus:

When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I state yous the truth, they maintain received all the vantage they will ever larn. But when you lot give to someone inward demand, don’t allow your left mitt know what your correct paw is doing. Give your gifts in individual, in addition to your Father, who sees everything, will vantage you lot. – Matthew half dozen:ii-4

Don’t store upwards treasures hither on basis, where moths eat them in add-on to rust destroys them, as well as where thieves interruption in inwards add-on to pocket. Store your treasures inward sky, where moths too rust cannot destroy, together with thieves do non suspension inwards inwards plus to handbag. Wherever your treasure is, at that topographic point the desires of your nitty-gritty testament also live.” – Matthew half dozen:19-21

There you go. In the first passage, Jesus promises that the Father will reward those who give with pure motives. He and so, inward the sec passage, defines these rewards equally treasures inward heaven.

Do you lot commence the watch that Jesus wants us to live motivated by rewards? I do, inward plus to here are some reasons why:

Jesus is practical.

As he points out, whatever treasures we gain here on earth are momentary. One only need to drive by a junk yard to see all of the rusty automobiles that were once highly valued treasures. A practical person, instead of saving up stuff that will break, rust or decay, should shop upward treasures which lastly for eternity.

Jesus knows that we displace ship it ahead.

After J. D. Rockefeller died, someone asked his accountant, “How much did he leave behind?” The accountant’s classic answer was, “All of it.” How utterly true! But Jesus knows something the accountant mightiness non concur known: “You mightiness non live able to straight it with you lot…but you tin transport it ahead.”

Jesus wants to modify our priorities.

By comparison earthly (too thus temporary) goods with heavenly (too thus eternal) goods, Jesus forces us to re-prioritize our lives. This stark contrast motivates us to mean value in heavenly cost instead of earthly. If inwards that location were no heavenly treasures, this alter inwards priorities would not be such a clear challenge.

Jesus wishing to modify our hearts.

Once our priorities are challenged, our hearts volition also exist challenged. Jesus wants us to be more than than practical; he wants us to think His thoughts as good as feel His feelings. Focusing on heavenly treasures testament carry nearly that change.

Randy Alcorn, in his book “The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving”, shares the side by side analogy:

Imagine yous are alive at the cease of the Civil War. You are living inwards the South, but you are a Northerner. You designing to motion dwelling family menage as earlier long every bit the state of war is over. While in the South you lot have got got accumulated lots of Confederate currency. Now. Suppose yous know for a fact that the North is going to win the war, too the cease is imminent. What will you do amongst your Confederate currency? If you lot are smart, you will similar a shot cash inwards your Confederate currency for U. southward. currency — the only coin that volition maintain value in i case the province of war is over. Keep only enough Confederate currency to come up across your curt term needs.

The message is clear: nosotros likewise should invest in a currency that volition lead hold ongoing value … eternal value.

I want to be perfectly clear in stating that we never give in order to win God’s love…that is something we already have. We do so simply because our heavenly Father wants us to have some eternal investments. Remember: it is His idea, not ours. As we live out our few years here on Earth, God want us to be enthusiastically expectant about our upcoming eternity with Him … an excitement which comes at least partly from the promise that we will have treasures inward sky. That hope motivates me to live all the more giving today. How most you?

Readers: Jump inward hither with your thoughts. Should our giving live motivated yesteryear the hope of rewards? Meet us inwards the comments!