Daily Success
Institute in Basic Life Principles

Command 18 : Do Unto Others | Day 124

Give to Receive From God!

Doing to others what we would want them to do to us has a very specific application in the area of finances. We are instructed by God to distribute to the necessity of saints (see Romans 12:13). We are also told to give to our enemies without expecting anything in return (see Luke 6:35). In fact, if one fails to provide for the basic needs of others, especially fellow believers, Scripture says the love of God isn't in us (see I John 3:17).

We cannot outgive God. When we are obedient in giving to others, He will return even more to us, often using unexpected sources.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (Luke 6:38).

One day I learned of a special financial need in another ministry. God prompted me to give a specific, "painful" amount of money to them. He also made it clear that I was to give it from my personal funds, not from ministry funds.

After writing the check and sending it off in the mail, I was notified of an unexpected gift that our ministry had received, which was significantly more than the amount I had just given. This did not happen just once, but has been a consistent pattern over the past 55 years.

There are many examples in Scripture that illustrate how God responded with a blessing in a person's life after he or she chose to bless the lives of others. For example, the Shunammite woman was given her heart's desire—a child—after she provided for the needs of the prophet Elisha (see II Kings 4:8-17). The same was true for the widow of Zarephath, whose supply of food was extended for three years after she gave her last meal to Elijah (see I Kings 17:8-15).

Generosity follows the laws of the harvest: the more we sow, the more we reap.

In Luke, the command to do unto others is related to money: “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:30-31).

God affirms the principle of giving to the needs of others and the benefit received from Him. “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11).

When we give to others we must give expecting nothing in return, and we must recognize that God is the One Who sees and will repay us. God loves a cheerful giver (see II Corinthians 9:7) and delights to see His children following His example of generosity. Let's begin to look for those who have needs that we can meet, expecting nothing in return.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

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Contributing writer: Bill Gothard