Many people consider giving to be a burden and a chore.  Often the statement is made, “I don’t have it to give!”  That may well be a viable argument for some people, especially in today’s climate of high prices and over the moon inflation.  However, according to God’s word, our contribution is not valued or acceptable based on what we don’t have, but by what we do have and are willing to give.  And there’s much to be said about a person’s willingness to give.  Giving that is done in a spirit of resentment and done begrudgingly is seldom done with willingness or joy.  And over-giving — giving done without consideration for what a person is truly able to give — is often done with givers remorse, leading to the type of giving that creates resentment of the gift by the giver.

         Everyone has something to share.  And God’s design for generosity is created so that those who have been truly blessed may share out of their abundance so that everyone who has a need may be cared for.  Likewise, those who have less are not overburdened by being forced to give beyond their means.  You can’t get blood from a turnip, nor is God honored by those who place a hardship on themselves by giving beyond their ability to give.  For God, it’s all about a system of equity and fairness.  In that way, everyone can rejoice and give thanks to God.  It’s impossible to beat a God who hands out justice with the gift of giving.

• Have you ever suffered spiritually because you weren’t able to give as much as you would have liked to give?
• Have you ever rejoiced because you were able to give out of your abundance?
• What do you believe is the spiritual and emotional difference between the two?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Generous God, help me to see my life and all of my blessings as an opportunity to give You a gift that truly represents the blessings I’ve received from You.

         Most of what we receive from God we take for granted.  Blessings come daily — big and small — some even unnoticeable at the time.  And in the busyness of our lives, we simply miss or ignore them until we find them slowly disappearing from our lives.  Our health, the blessings of family, food on our tables, clothes on our backs — these things, even though we pray for them and about them, sometimes become just a part of the day.

         And yet, God is in the business of satisfying our needs.  Our challenge is in our difficulty distinguishing our needs from our wants.  We suffer from the lust of our eyes, stomachs, mind, and heart seeking those things we believe will make our lives more fulfilled and fulfilling.  And I’m sure that the list of things we want is long.  But God supplies us on a level beyond what we can see, feel, taste, smell, or hear.  God touches our lives with Spiritual food, eternal shelter, and surrounds us with the promises of Christ for our protection.  It is truly God that satisfies all of our needs, and they come from God’s abundant throne of grace in Jesus Christ.  The needs that God supplies allows us to be “content with what we have” as opposed to always wanting more than we need.  You just can’t beat that kind of giving.

• Can you name something that you really wanted, that after acquiring it, you still weren’t satisfied?
• How did God work in that situation to provide what you really needed, and what was it that God supplied?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to come to that place where I can fully trust that you will satisfy all of my needs and that I can live contented with all You supply through Jesus Christ.

         God’s invitation to us is to be as generous to others as God has been to us.  Out of our generosity, God promises to bless us in everything we do.  I don’t have to wonder if God’s motivation for us to be generous to others is connected God’s commandment to  us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  It fulfills the founding principle behind God’s desire that we be generous to others.  God always seems to find a blessing for those who, in their obedience, are able to rescue our brothers and sisters through the generous act of giving to others.  And in reality, it is a saving grace for us.  It enables us to be as generous to others as God has been generous to us.  The transference of God’s generosity to us and then through us enables the recipients of our gifts to give praise to God through our generosity.  Just as those who are poor in spirit know their need for God, those who are poor in substance also know their need for God’s provisions.  When we provide the material things that others need, we have shown others the generosity of God through our giving, especially when we live with the attitude that what we give is not ours but God’s.  We’re simply transferring the blessings that we’ve received so that others may experience God’s generosity and know that we can’t beat God’s giving.

• In what ways do you believe your generosity to others has been a blessing to them and to you?
• How do you give praise to God through your giving even if those who received your gifts do not?

Todays Prayer

Today’s. Prayer —
Precious Lord, enable me to open my heart to those in need of the bare necessities of life. Allow me to give to them as generously as You have given me.