The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
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R. G. LeTourneau, <strong>the</strong> Texas industrialist, is a contemporary example <strong>of</strong> a person with <strong>the</strong> gift<br />
<strong>of</strong> giving. In <strong>the</strong> early years <strong>of</strong> his business he went into partnership with God. He did not mean<br />
by this that he was bargaining with God’s grace. Ra<strong>the</strong>r he said,<br />
“Because I believe that God wants businessmen as well as preachers to be His servants,<br />
I believe that a factory can be dedicated to His service as well as a church.” 15<br />
LeTourneau stated his principle <strong>of</strong> giving:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> question in not how much <strong>of</strong> my money I give to God, but ra<strong>the</strong>r how much <strong>of</strong><br />
God’s money can I keep.”<br />
He kept less than 10% <strong>of</strong> his income. He turned 90% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> assets <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company over to his<br />
Christian foundation, and <strong>the</strong>n he and his wife gave in cash 90% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> income that was realized<br />
from <strong>the</strong> share <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business that he kept. He shared that he and his wife never lacked money to<br />
meet <strong>the</strong>ir needs.<br />
“From <strong>the</strong> minute LeTourneau made God his business partner, things started to go. In<br />
<strong>the</strong> first 15 years, <strong>the</strong> Foundation gave over $2.5 million to o<strong>the</strong>r organizations<br />
engaged in Christian work, and over $2.25 million in its own program <strong>of</strong> evangelistic<br />
ministries. Countless Christian schools and organizations in America have been <strong>the</strong><br />
recipients <strong>of</strong> his gift <strong>of</strong> giving. Scarcely a mission field exists in all five continents<br />
where some devoted worker has not been aided through money from this foundation.<br />
Altoge<strong>the</strong>r, millions <strong>of</strong> dollars have been given to fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> Lord’s work.” 16<br />
Stanley Tam, a silver businessman, in Lima, Ohio, is also an example <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> giving. He<br />
said he made God <strong>the</strong> senior partner <strong>of</strong> his business by legally turning 51% over to his Christian<br />
foundation, <strong>the</strong>n raising it over a period <strong>of</strong> time to 100%. <strong>The</strong> foundation receives <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>its from<br />
<strong>the</strong> business. In addition to this, he and his wife more than ti<strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own family income as well. 17<br />
Mr. Tam has testified to God’s grace in his ability to make money and give it away: “I frankly<br />
don’t believe I’m as good a businessman as our financial statements indicate. I believe I operate<br />
far above my natural capacity.”<br />
But <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> giving is not limited to people who make sums <strong>of</strong> money. <strong>The</strong> biblical examples<br />
above indicate that this gift also is given to lower income people. <strong>The</strong> important thing is not “how<br />
much we give,” but “what we do with what we have.”<br />
People with <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> giving get sheer delight from <strong>the</strong>ir ability to share.