‘Not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many.’ 1 Corinthians 10:33 NKJV

Here’s a group you don’t want to be part of: ‘In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.’ (2 Timothy 3:1–4 NKJV) There’s nothing wrong with making money. Indeed, if you honour the Lord He will help you to make more of it (see Deuteronomy 8:18, Isaiah 48:17, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:8).

But here’s a Bible principle you must live by to walk in the blessing of God. When you have enough money to meet your own needs, you must be willing to say yes to God when He asks you to meet someone else’s need. If you’d like to conquer selfishness and become more generous, here are some steps:

(1) Give away something that you would prefer to keep. The goal is to break your emotional attachment to material things.

(2) Graduate to anonymous giving. Leave a needy person such as a elderly citizen, a student or a single parent a cash gift in an envelope. Don’t put your name on it, and don’t tell anyone you did it. And no, you can’t claim it as a tax deduction. But God promises to return it to you many times over, and in the areas where you need it most (see Galatians 6:7).

(3) Have someone you trust monitor your progress. Meet with them throughout the year and invite them to ask you not about how much money you made, but how much you’ve given away to help others. If you’re serious about not being selfish, these are steps you have to be willing to take.

SoulFood: 1 Sam 18:1–20:29, Luke 24:13–24, Ps 68:19–35, Pr 22:6

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©