Giving must be purposeful and does not happen by accident. Before giving to the Lord, the Christian must first purpose in his heart to willingly give. Not only must he purpose in his heart to give, but he must also purpose what and when to give. Furthermore, he must purpose to give according to his ability and to give faithfully. These are important elements that each believer should constantly address. Failure to consider these important aspects breeds confusion and allows the Devil to deter that man from obedience. Each believer or family unit should sit down and purpose with God’s leading what and when to give. Then each believer should faithfully give as the Lord leads and as that individual or family has purposed in heart.
The words content and contentment infer that one is satisfied with life's present conditions (Genesis 37:27; Exodus 2:21). Living contently is the opposite of wanting (Philippians 4:11) and covetousness (Hebrews 13:5) and is strongly associated with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6). Interestingly, contentment is a learned behaviour that believers must put into practice on a consistent basis throughout life. No one is born into the world content. Yet, once learned and practiced consistently, Christians will experience contentment in spite of any circumstance faced. Unfortunately, far too often, Christians exhibit no more contentment than non-Christians. In fact, believers seem to desire and covet the things of the world more and more with each passing year. This covetousness combined with a lack of contentment amongst Christians results in less godliness and a closer association with worldly pleasures.
