John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This is probably the most familiar verse in all of the Bible. We are reminded by this verse, especially at Christmas time, of wonderful giving nature of God. The Bible also says in Romans 8:29 that God wants to conform us to the image of His Son. We are to pattern our lives after Christ as much as possible. One of the ways we can follow the example of Christ is to be a giver like He was.
I believe this verse shows us five characteristics of God-like giving. These are attributes that should characterize our giving as well.
Give with the Right Motive – “For God so loved…”
The ultimate motivation for God’s gift to mankind was His love. Love means to be pleased with something/someone or to regard something/someone with affection. Love should always be the primary motivation for our giving. Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them…” There were those in His day who did what they did strictly to be seen of men. People like that certainly exist today and, if we’re not careful, we can fall prey to that trap as well.
Give with a Specific Target in Mind – “…the world…”
Let’s face it. God can have a bigger target than we can. He had the ability to give a gift that could impact the entire world. Nonetheless, He had a target. There should always be a target of our giving as well. We can give time, energy or resources to God, people or causes. Make sure you have a specified target when you give.
Give Something of Value – “…he gave his only begotten Son…”
God gave the most precious thing He could give. He gave Himself. Our giving is God-like when we give something of value. The more you love something/someone, the more valuable your gifts for that thing/person will be. You can literally measure your love for God be measuring the value of what you give to Him. You can do the same for people or causes – like your church.
Give with No Strings Attached – “…that whosoever believeth…”
Aren’t you glad John 3:16 doesn’t say, “…that whosoever reads their Bible every day should not perish, but have everlasting life?” Or prays for five hours a day…never misses a church service…never misses a tithe…etc. Surely the gift of God will transform a life and cause someone to do things they’d never do in and of themselves (ie, serve God with a pure heart). But I’m glad God gave with no strings attached. God didn’t give with the goal of getting something in return and neither should we. Love produces giving, not bartering.
Give for the Benefit of Others – “…should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The benefit of a gift is directly related to it’s value. God’s gift could impact the world and provide salvation for a soul because of its tremendous value. Again, we have to pare down our expectations, but the principle remains. Does your giving benefit God, people or a cause?
Take inventory of your giving. Do these principles characterize your giving? If you’re a Christian, you should desire your giving to be God-like. The example is laid out for us in the most famous verse in all the Bible.
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