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Not-for-profit charities like matching gifts because they can use them to encourage others to give more. People tend to donate more readily when they know their donation will go further with a match. That strategy has biblical support. We see it in 2 Cor. Ch. 9. There the Apostle Paul urged God’s people to support needy fellow believers; he cited various reasons why we should give. He said giving is like sowing seed–the more you plant, the more you reap. He said we should give systematically and cheerfully because God loves cheerful givers. He said when we give generously; God will meet and even exceed our needs. Paul said if we give because we genuinely want to help others, God will keep on increasing our supply so we will have more to give. Our giving will not only delight the heart of God, it will cause people to thank and praise God. The apostle observed that although giving can sometimes involve sacrifice, no sacrifice we make could ever match the sacrifice God made to pay our sin debt. Paul urges us never to lose sight of the origin of giving. Giving originates with God. Not only has God shown His generous nature by creating the earth with all its vast resources at our disposal; God gave His Son and His Spirit to live within believers. In addition, He constantly supplies life, breath, and all we need to sustain us from day to day. We can never out give God.
