The Treasure Principle
I finished reading "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn today. There is a lot of great stuff in this book about giving and generosity. I wanted to share a few that challenged me and hopefully will challenge and bless you.
"Tithing isn't the ceiling of giving; it's the floor. It's not the finish line of giving; it's just the starting blocks. Tithes can be the training wheels to launch us into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace giving."
"Ironically, many people can't afford to give precisely because they're not giving."
"giving is a skill. With practice, we get better at it. We can learn to give more, give more often, and give more strategically."
"What does it mean to give beyond our ability? It means pushing our giving past the point where the figures add up. It means giving when the bottom line says we can't."
"The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you outgive Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens."
R. G. LeTourneau writes, "I shovel it out and God shovels it back-but God has a bigger shovel."
Read 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 & 2 Corinthians 8:14-15
"Isn't there a point when, as His stewards, we can cross the line of reasonable expenses?"
"God distributes wealth unevenly not because He loves some of His children more than others, but so His children can distribute it to their brothers and sisters on His behalf."
C. T. Studd writes, "Only one life 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
"Unless we learn how to humbly tell each other our giving stories, our churches will not learn to give."
You need to pick up this book and get reading. Here is a summary of the principle and keys:
Treasure Principle: You can't take it with you-but you can send it on ahead.
Key # 1-God owns everything. I'm His money manager. We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted-not given-to us.
Key # 2-My heart always goes where I put God's money. Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.
Key # 3-Heaven, not earth, is my home. We are citizens of "a better country-a heavenly one." (Hebrews 11:16)
Key # 4-I should live not for the dot but for the line. From the dot-our present life on earth-extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.
Key # 5-Giving is the only antidote to materialism. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.
Key # 6-God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. God gives us more money than we need so we can give-generously.
"Tithing isn't the ceiling of giving; it's the floor. It's not the finish line of giving; it's just the starting blocks. Tithes can be the training wheels to launch us into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace giving."
"Ironically, many people can't afford to give precisely because they're not giving."
"giving is a skill. With practice, we get better at it. We can learn to give more, give more often, and give more strategically."
"What does it mean to give beyond our ability? It means pushing our giving past the point where the figures add up. It means giving when the bottom line says we can't."
"The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you outgive Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens."
R. G. LeTourneau writes, "I shovel it out and God shovels it back-but God has a bigger shovel."
Read 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 & 2 Corinthians 8:14-15
"Isn't there a point when, as His stewards, we can cross the line of reasonable expenses?"
"God distributes wealth unevenly not because He loves some of His children more than others, but so His children can distribute it to their brothers and sisters on His behalf."
C. T. Studd writes, "Only one life 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."
"Unless we learn how to humbly tell each other our giving stories, our churches will not learn to give."
You need to pick up this book and get reading. Here is a summary of the principle and keys:
Treasure Principle: You can't take it with you-but you can send it on ahead.
Key # 1-God owns everything. I'm His money manager. We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted-not given-to us.
Key # 2-My heart always goes where I put God's money. Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.
Key # 3-Heaven, not earth, is my home. We are citizens of "a better country-a heavenly one." (Hebrews 11:16)
Key # 4-I should live not for the dot but for the line. From the dot-our present life on earth-extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.
Key # 5-Giving is the only antidote to materialism. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.
Key # 6-God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. God gives us more money than we need so we can give-generously.
This is great J.L. I have always been a tither- since my first job as a dishwasher at age 14. But for the last 8 years we have been at a church that teaches giving more than a tithe and the power and blessing on a group of people when we all tithe and give beyond. At our church, over 90% of the members are tithers. I don't know if we'll ever hit 100% because we always have new people coming in. We have seen God's blessing on our family, but also on our church as a group. God blesses a group of people when the group responds to Him and we see that in our church. Giving is a great test for a person's, a church's heart for Jesus. People pay for what is valuable. I pay for Jesus and His Kingdom, because it is valuable to me.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated this blog J.L. You are blessed when you tithe! Keep challenging us with God's Word and His instructions!
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