Acts 20:32-35 :

Now, brothers, I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Some governmental systems encourage people covet what others have in order to allow the government to take money from people it wants to and give it to others that it wants to. Paul tells us that Christian leaders should promote a life of personal giving instead.

Beside the fact that we should never participate in the breaking of the Law of God (to lie, covet, and steal) that some governmental systems encourage, we should seek to know the joy of giving.

We should covet “no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing” and that includes “the rich” by the way. We are, however, to encourage people to work for money because “laboring you ought to help the weak.” We should do whatever we can with our labor in order to rise above our own circumstances, and help the poor.

God has made us His own children and we should recognize the freedom of Spirit we have, use it to stop disobeying God’s laws and feel the joy of giving again. Remember that Jesus “himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”