7 Reasons Why You Should Give For You

Let’s be honest: you know you should probably give more to others, but you’re struggling to find a compelling reason to counteract your own selfish tendencies. I can tell you that you should give because the Bible says so, but that’s about as motivating as you telling a teenager to do something because you said so. You should give, if for no other reason than your own sake. Here are 7 reasons why you should give for you:

1. Giving makes you become like God. That’s a biggie to start with. The heart of God is the heart of a giver. He gave us creation, he gave us life, he gave us his son. Human nature is to be small, petty, and selfish. It’s the divine nature inside of us, the image of God in us that draws us to give. When we give, we lean into that nature and become more like our Creator. Giving unleashes the divine potential within all of us.

2. Giving deepens your relationships with other people. When we give, when we’re transparent and vulnerable enough to give of ourselves to other people, we build a deeper bond with those that we give to. Giving builds stronger relationships with people, and if quality of life develops through quality relationships, then giving of yourself is a powerful way to build stronger relationships. When you have deep, meaningful relationships with those around you, life just gets better all around.

3. Giving is the antidote to the cancer of greed. Make no mistake, if you allow the cancer of greed to run rampant in your life, it will kill you from the inside out. Greed will shrink your world until the only person you see is yourself. Think about a person you know that is incredibly greedy and self-centered. What’s the emotion that comes up when you think about them? Envy? You want to be like them? No, it’s usually anger or revulsion. You never want to be like them. Giving is the antidote to greed. If you don’t want to end up like them, develop the discipline of giving in your life.

4. Giving strengthens your faith. When you give, you have to trust God. You have to trust that if you give, you’ll have enough left for you. That if you give some of your provision to others, that God will provide for you. So when you give, and when God steps up and provides for you (which he always does), your faith in God grows, which is central to your relationship with God.

5. Giving is an investment in eternity. Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19). When you give, you’re making an investment in eternity. Jesus never spells out the details, but he does clearly say several times that in heaven we will be rewarded for what we gave in this life. If you’re investing in your earthly retirement through an IRA or 401K, it makes sense to invest in your eternal retirement account through giving to others.

6. Giving blesses you in return. Here’s what you’ll find when you give: you’ll be blessed, you’ll be a happier person. Ask any person who’s gone on a mission trip, who thought they were going there to give. They did give, but they got so much more in return it wasn’t even fair. When you give, you’re blessed in return. You want to find the happiest people on the planet? Find the people who give of themselves. They have a happiness, a fulfillment, a contentment that money could never buy.

7. Giving changes the world. Last but not least, when you give, you can change the world. Look no further than John 3:16. What difference did God make in the world when he gave us his son? He changed everything! What difference can you make when you give to others? What kind of impact can you have in the lives of those you love the most? When you give, you can change the world.

QUESTION: What are some other benefits to giving?