2 Corinthians 8:12. From God’s perspective, giving is a lifestyle, not a requirement. If we are not giving from our heart, your act of giving will be of no effect. When we first become a Christian, our flesh and natural ways will resist God’s call for us to give to him and to others. It is not until you study God’s word and spend time with Him that you will understand how important it is to God for you to give. Giving is your acknowledgement that you do not own anything, but that you are only a good steward over the resources that God provides to you. God desires for you to use and give of His resources for His kingdom-building.

Your natural man will never be satisfied with material things, no matter how many things you accumulate. God made you not to be selfish. He desires that when you are in abundance to be unselfish and give to other for the purpose of kingdom-building and going to a higher level in your relationship with God (2 Corinthians 8:11-15, “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack”).

BIBLE SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 8:12, "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not".

1 Corinthians 16:2. When giving, God is looking to us to give voluntarily and on a regular basis. By us giving in alms and offerings we are showing God that we put Him above material things. By us giving regularly, we are showing God that we put Him above all things all the time. Just as with a marriage, we must maintain the marriage relationship everyday to have a good marriage. We cannot commit adultery on Saturdays and expect to maintain a good marriage relationship the rest of the week. Our relationship with God is the same thing. By us giving to God and to others everyday this is one of the ways that we maintain a good relationship with God (1 Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”)

BIBLE SCRIPTURE 1 Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Luke 19:8. One reason that Christians have a need for giving is because of the Godly repentance in their hearts. As part of repenting and turning away from sin, Christians yield willingly to God. The God in us then urges them to give generously to the people that they have hurt previously because of their sinful actions.

In the Bible, Zacchaeus repented and immediately had a desire to give to people after he had an encountered Jesus. After he repented, he immediately made a commitment to give back fourfold to the people he had hurt (Luke 19:8, “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”). Zacchaeus' desire for giving and making a commitment to give generously was not motivated as a possible good works that would get him into Heaven. No, he gave out a new, "agape" love (unmerited favor) and repentance to address his past wrongs.

BIBLE SCRIPTURE, Luke 19:8, “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold”).