How God's Grace Works In Us

Worship through giving doesn't always make sense to church attendees (especially those who don't have a saving relationship with Christ). In the current culture many presume that worship's main elements are jubilant singing, ecstatic utterances and other expressions of adoration toward God. But actually, worship's most basic expression takes place at the moment that one gathers the best of one's most prized material possessions to describe the value of one's saving relationship with God.

Worship through giving also teaches about how God's kingdom works. The scriptures frequently address this overall phenomenon using the metaphor of seed and harvest, as concrete illustrations of otherwise invisible aspects of God's kingdom.

To begin describing this phenomenon, one letter from the apostle Paul states: “Remember this saying, 'A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a big harvest.'” Paul's point was that in God's economy, one reaps what one sows.

However, this economy is not a merely-mechanistic system. Paul also explains that one's free will connects to God's own heart: “Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.”

In addition, Paul reveals the practical results of this connection to God's heart: “God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.” Worship though giving allows us to connect to the inner workings of God's kingdom. God always has a purpose for the grace that He shares with us.

The same God who saves us from our sins also expects us to use that salvation to help somebody else. He shares His grace with us so that we can do the good works that He's made us to do.

In these troubling times, as human needs increase, so do the purposes for God's harvest. The Church must seek to benefit others who are in need of the blessings of God's kingdom.

The first step in this process is to plant more seeds in proportion to the challenges that our society faces. Following Paul's teaching, that means scattering our gifts to those who are in need. As the scriptures explain: “God gives seed to people who will plant them, and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so that you can give even more to those in need. You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift."

Again, this all demonstrates how in God's kingdom, our faith connects with God's supernatural power to accomplish God's purposes. God blesses us so that we will bless somebody else who is in need.

One who chooses to operate in this faith receives God's blessing in every way – not just with money – but in every way – so that one can be generous on every occasion. Not only does one have an opportunity to witness the spectacle of mercy in someone else's life, but also one is able personally to experience God's power and faithfulness, for God's glory.