God owns everything. Everything we see is His creation. Everything we “create” is made of something God has already created. What is the purpose of possessions? Scripture tells us that God gave you possessions to be used in the following ways: To provide for your family – 1 Timothy 5:4-8 To provide for others in need – 1 John 3:17-18 To be enjoyed – 1 Timothy 6:17 To spread the Gospel – Philippians 1:5 To provide spiritual leaders – Galatians 6:6 Truths about giving As you can see from the above, some of the reasons God has provided you with possessions is so that you can further His mission. God also provides these vital instructions concerning how this is to be done:  1.   It is to be voluntary “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 No one is forced to give to the church. However, our gifts are to be an expression of our love for God. Just as we demonstrate our love to friends and family by giving them gifts, so should be our attitude toward giving to God. 2.   It is to be generous “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 3.   It is to be a systematic discipline “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” 1 Corinthians 16:2 Paul knew that if they waited to give what was left over, they would never give. It is always best to have a systematic plan for how you use your money and giving to God should be a part of that plan. 4.   It is to be done without display “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4 5.   It is to be done as an act of faith “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34 When we give, we are demonstrating our trust in God. In a way we are showing that we trust Him to provide for our needs and that we believe His promises are true. 6.   It is to be done because we are stewards “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:26-28 When God created humanity, He gave us the task of watching over and caring for His creation. Jesus told several parables that included the idea of humanity being responsible for the things entrusted to them. As a steward, entrusted with overseeing a specific area or item, we are to do what we can to make that area or item productive. Being productive, however, is not based upon our ideas or definitions, but rather upon creating an increase that pleases God, the Owner, and contributes to His aims. Ask God to help you plan your finances including what you should be giving to Him and His church. The last step in this series of lessons is to learn how to obtain personal satisfaction by sharing the message of Christ with others. You can find how to do this by clicking here.