What Looks Like Loss Becomes Life
DAY 6 — Saturday, December 6, 2025
Discover the divine perspective on giving and position yourself for God's overflow
Scripture
Luke 6:38 (ESV)"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
A Lesson in the Field
An old farmer and his son walked through their land one evening as the sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The father carried a burlap sack filled with seed, and as they moved through the freshly plowed rows, he scattered it generously handfuls at a time, far more than seemed necessary.
The boy watched, troubled. Finally, he spoke up, "Daddy, aren't you wasting seed? You're throwing away so much."
The father stopped, knelt down, and looked his son in the eyes. With a gentle smile, he said, "Son, seed isn't wasted when it leaves my hand. It's invested. What looks like loss right now? That's going to become life in a few months. Trust me."
That image captures exactly what Jesus is teaching us in Luke 6:38. To our natural eyes, the eyes trained by a world obsessed with holding, hoarding, and protecting the act of giving looks like subtraction. It looks like something leaving our possession, shrinking our bank account, decreasing what we have.
But Jesus flips that entire worldview upside down.
In the kingdom of God, giving doesn't diminish, instead it multiplies. Giving isn't loss, it's investment. Giving isn't depletion, it's positioning yourself for divine increase.
As we stand just one day away from Giving Sunday, Jesus is inviting us to see the upside, the divine perspective on what happens when we give.
The Pattern Jesus Reveals
Luke 6:38 lays out a kingdom principle using language that would've been instantly familiar to first-century farmers and merchants. Jesus presents a threefold rhythm:
First: "Give…" - The Activation
The entire process starts when we move first. God responds to action. He honors movement. A closed fist can't receive anything new, but an open hand? That's a hand positioned for blessing.
Second: "…and it will be given to you…" - The Promise
Jesus isn't being vague or poetic here. He's revealing a guaranteed spiritual law. God will not let generosity go unrewarded. Now, that reward might not always look the way we expect. Sometimes it's financial provision. Sometimes it's relational breakthrough. Sometimes it's emotional peace. Sometimes it's spiritual clarity or unexpected favor. But make no mistake; God always responds to a generous heart.
Third: "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over…" - The Overflow
This imagery comes straight from the marketplace. Picture a grain merchant filling a basket. He doesn't just pour it in and walk away. He fills it, then presses it down to eliminate air pockets. Then he shakes it to settle everything. Then he keeps pouring until it's so full that grain starts spilling over the sides.
That's how God gives back.
He doesn't return blessings in a stingy, calculated, bare-minimum way. He returns them overflowing; more than you expected, more than you asked for, more than you even knew you needed.
Then Jesus adds this critical piece:
"For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
Translation: Your giving determines your receiving. Not because God is transactional or petty, but because generosity expands your capacity to hold what God wants to pour into your life.
The Upside Nobody Talks About
Most people focus on what they'll lose when they give. They see the check. They see the withdrawal. They see the sacrifice. And fear whispers, "What if you need that later?"
But Jesus shifts our focus to what we'll gain. The upside to giving includes:
Strengthened faith
because every act of generosity requires you to trust God more than your bank account.
Greater joy
because giving isn't a transaction; it's worship, and worship always produces joy.
Emotional freedom
because giving breaks the grip of greed, fear, and anxiety over your life.
Spiritual alignment
because when you give, you step into rhythm with God's own generous heart.
Increased provision
because God pours back into hands that stay open.
Eternal impact
because no gift given to God ever returns void. Every seed sown produces a harvest somewhere, somehow.
Giving isn't just a financial decision. It's a spiritual positioning. Every act of generosity moves you one step closer to overflow.
So as Giving Sunday approaches, here's the truth we need to lock into our hearts:
When we give, we step into the endless, limitless, overflow resources of God Himself.
The Positioning Principle
Giving positions you for God's overflow.
Your Next Step
Take some time today, don't rush this and make a list of the areas in your life where you need God's "pressed down, shaken together, running over" blessing.
Maybe it's:
- Spiritual breakthrough
- Emotional healing
- Financial provision
- Relational restoration
- Physical health
- A door that needs to open
- A burden that needs to lift
Write them down. Be specific. Be honest.
Then pray over them. Ask God to let your Giving Sunday gift become a seed planted directly into those areas. Declare over your offering, "This isn't just money leaving my hand. This is faith in motion. This is worship in action. This is me positioning myself for God's overflow."
Let's Pray Together
Father, I thank You that You are a God who multiplies what we release. You don't do bare minimum; You do overflowing, abundant, more-than-enough blessings. Today, I'm asking You to stretch my faith. Help me give with expectation, not fear. With confidence, not anxiety. Open the windows of heaven over my life as I honor You through my generosity. Prepare my heart for a powerful Giving Sunday experience tomorrow. Let my gift be a seed that produces a harvest in every area where I need Your breakthrough. Amen.