GIVING OPENS DOORS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he has purposed in
his heart so let him
give, NOT GRUDGINGLY, not of necessity, for GOD
LOVES A CHEERFUL
GIVER.
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that
no murderer; (unforgiven) hath eternal life abiding in him.
Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you metewithal it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 10:8 --- freely you have received, freely give.
1 Cor. 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay up in store....
I ponder today, how life is a journey.
Life is a process --- it should be a progressive
process.
We are ever, gradually, changing.
We must steer this process that life’s results leads
us the way we want to go.
Life is a series of choices and actions.
We need an evaluation system to determine, am I
going the way I want to
go?
What is the value of what I determine in
significance and importance?
Life becomes the sum total of our menial daily
choices.
Get ready for blessings.
A great lesson in this journey toward blessing is
giving.
Most know what DOA means?
Dead on arrival.
But what about COA, Course of action.
What is your course of action?
We often quote, No one plans to fail, they fail to
plan.
We must determine what our course of action is?
Will our plan include the Bible?
The Bible, -- news you can use if you choose?
Will our plan include faithfulness to the church?
1. HATE CAN NEVER BEAT HATRED!
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer; and ye know that
no murderer; (unforgiven) hath eternal life abiding
in him.
Hate can never cease hatred.
You cannot force someone to love you!
Anger will never produce good fruit.
Revenge is a poor motivation.
Hatred ceases by love and forgiveness.
This is a law of God. God is love. Love never fails.
2. WE MUST CREATE MEANING FROM SUFFERING.
Recently, I saw a TV program where a young beautiful
girl was killed in an
accident. The parents of the girl hated the person
responsible for the tragic
accident.
They ran across a motto that changed their life.
We must create meaning for suffering.
They started reaching out to teenagers and developed
a program to try and
stop this terrible drinking and driving problem.
Their attitude changed as they invested love and time
in others.
Instead of sitting in a dark room crying, they enter
the arena to arise and do
something. They have helped many. They created
meaning from suffering.
3. THERE ARE TWO SOURCES OF MOTIVATION!
A. I will do this because of fear and I am afraid of
punishment.
This attitude grows out of, "DO I HAVE TO ..."
How sad life has become when I have to do this
becomes our reasoning for motivation.
Fear is a good motivation, temporarily.
Then we forget the fear.
Many look forward to rewards and expect punishment,
but how sad each
day becomes.
B. I will do this because of love.
Love motivation is the greatest joy of life.
My attitude is ... "I DO THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO... "
Everything motivated and birthed in love and
investment should continue to
keep the love growing.
This makes life worth living.
Gifts of love are permanent in nature and do not
have to be applauded.
When love is involved, giving does not seem like a
painful sacrifice.
4. You can give and not love, but you can never love without giving!
Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure you metewithal it shall be measured to you again.
Giving and forgiving are good team members.
Giving means to share, to bear, to yield to another,
change possessions, to
commit to another’s trust, enter wholeheartedly into
an activity.
5.YOU DETERMINE THE MEASURE.
There is one sure way to stop getting, that is to
stop giving.
It is like a water hose that is pinched, there will
be no flow.
Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Some interpret this verse as a way to bribe God.
To give for return is not a proper attitude.
6. GIVE FREELY.
Matthew 10:8 --- freely you have received, freely
give.
Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat:
he that waters shall be watered.
7. GIVE REGULARLY.
1 Cor. 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every
one of you lay up in store....
8. PLANNED OR PURPOSED GIVING.
2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he has purposed in
his heart so let him
give, NOT GRUDGINGLY, not of necessity, for GOD
LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER.
WHAT CAN I GIVE?
I want us to consider what I can give...
1. GIVE AN EAR.
James 1:9 My beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to
speak, and slow to wrath.
Mat. 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
One of the greatest acts of love is listening.
Listening is more an act of love
than kissing! Give ear without interruptions, not
daydreaming, not listening
just to know how to attack.
2. GIVE AFFECTION.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love, in
honor preferring one another.
Give hugs, one size fits all. Easy to return.
Give tenderness and show your love.
3. GIVE KINDNESS.
2 Peter 1:7 To godliness, brotherly kindness, to
brotherly kindness love.
Many can love every one but their brother.
Shame on us.
4. GIVE LAUGHTER.
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good like a
medicine,
but a broken spirit dries the bones.
Laugh and laugh again. Learn to laugh at yourself,
you are pretty funny, you know it.
5. GIVE COMPLIMENTS.
We take each other forgranted, take the time to
tell those around you your
love and appreciation.
Be a spirit lifter!
Tell those you love, give them honor.
Good words rightly spoken can help.
6. GIVE A FAVOR.
Show someone you love them by doing something extra.
Baby-sit a poor exhausted mother’s children for a few hours.
Take an elderly person for a ride.
Go to the rest home and do someone’s fingernails.
Cook a little extra and share.
Help a friend clean their house.
7. GIVE SOME SPACE.
Let family and friends have some alone time.
Jesus knew he had to come a part from the crowd, or
he would come a part.
Love will let fly, and real love will return. Don’t
let jealousy smother.
8. GIVE A GAME.
You have a friend that would love to play golf,
game of cards, or some game.
Friendships need some just playing time, life is
serious, learn to play and
have a hobby
9. GIVE A SMILE.
Smiles are cheap, but they sure improve your face
value.
Body language speaks very loudly. Learn to smile.
It takes less muscles to smile than to frown.
10. GIVE A PRAYER.
I have been so down, and a friend came by to say a
little prayer.
Nothing earth shaking, but a little simple prayer.
I love to pray with my grandsons. I often times
pray, and my friends and
family will never know, but God knows.
11. WRITE A NOTE//SEND A CARD.
Every week I write a note, send an email, or write
a letter to family, friends
of the past, or current friends to tell them my
love and appreciation.
I have several drawers of notes and expressions of
love that someone took
the time to tell me.
When I feel small and worthless, I open the drawer
and randomly read.
One way to get ready for God’s blessing is to give and be a blessing!
How insane to expect things to change and be different, and you stay the same?
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
Please enlarge my hands and send this to others?
