* Photo Credit: The Kindness Blog
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Stewardship can be viewed from the biblical sense as the use of God-given gifts and resources for the accomplishment of God-given goals and objectives.
As stewards on this earth, it is our responsibility to use what He has given abundantly, for His purpose. Sharing and giving are all part of it, specially sacrificial giving.
The text book definition of sacrificial giving is “Giving beyond your means (Giving money that you really should be putting somewhere else, not giving money that you don't have) Giving that hurts. Going without something that we want/need in order to supply for the needs of another”.
The most glaring example of Sacrificial is in Mark Chapter 12:44 - "For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
Are there justifiable opportunities to do this? Sure! Look at Turkey and Syria where the death toll has crossed 40,000 and more than 9 Million people have been affected. Food shortages in many parts of the world leave millions hungry everyday. You don’t have to look, they come in the news every single day.
In the Biblical context, “giving’ can take many connotations like tithing, sharing, sacrificial giving etc. The difference between the old and New Testament on this subject is the difference between legal compulsion to give (Old Testament) and the giving through grace (New Testament). The concept of giving and sharing is so important that it is critical we understand it in the deepest sense to be able to fulfil our purpose as stewards, that God laid out for us.
In the next few days we will delve deeper into this subject and understand the cause and the depth of Sacrificial giving and why it is so important.
Next: The Five Principles of Sacrificial Giving
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