Philippians has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible and I have always had a particular fondness towards the 4th chapter. It is one of the most joyous books in the Bible and even though we might expect that it was written during wonderfully joyous circumstances, it was actually written while Paul was in prison. Add to that the fact that Paul was imprisoned unjustly and that a Roman prison would make an American prison look like a country club, and you it proves that there must have been something to what he was writing.
Anyway, in Philippians 4:17 [AMP] Paul says this to the Philippian church…
“Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]”
When reading this verse yesterday, I was reminded of the blessing that comes from giving. It is a wonderful thing to give out of discipline and obedience, but sometimes we need to be reminded that there is a blessing that comes as a result of our giving!
It is better to give than to receive!
Apparently Paul learned this from Jesus…
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.‘” Acts 20:35
And I love how the Amplified version adds a little more detail about what it means to be blessed…
“It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive.”
Maybe I just needed a little encouragement in this area, but I was blessed by this reminder that God has a “blessing account” for us that is accumulating as we give!
For more encouragement here are 21 giving bible verses.
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The book of Philippians is such an encouraging book! Funny how the AMP translation suggested that the person giving is to be envied – quite different than the norm today.
Great post!
Great post Bob. It’s a good reminder that we’re not here for our earthly desires and possessions. I’m learning this first hand by volunteering/serving and giving a larger portion of my money away. It’s awesome to see Him use me in people’s lives. God is good!
Interestingly, you have more to give when you receive more!
Thinking in terms of salaries, as well as other money streams coming in….
I saw a man standing at a freeway exit with a sign, explaining he was a father of 4 and asking for any help. I frantically started looking for dollars I knew I had, but couldn’t find. The light turned green and I apologized to the man who I knew needed help, and I wanted to help him. I sent a silent prayer to him instead, hoping that helped at least a little.
I agree that it is wonderful to give out of obedience to God, and sometimes we do need to be reminded that God will bless us for giving especially during the times when we feel like we need what we have more than those asking for it. It’s hard to give when we ourselves have so little at times, but we have to keep the faith that God will provide for our needs!
Our small home bible study group has discussed this topic on many occasions over the past year. We all have come to the conclusion it is our responsibility as Christians to give – not just our money, but our time, our talents, and our prayers.
When we look at Jesus, we all believe that when He ascended to Heaven, He did not leave a whole lot of stuff on earth. Something to think about perhaps.