[Kainos] Joy of Generosityናሙና

Finding Freedom to Give

We give from what we have been given. What has God given you? How has the Lord blessed you? Someone might say, “Well, God didn’t bless me; I go to work every day.” Yes, but didn’t God give you that mind? Those hands? That heart? That job? Didn’t God give you all that? If you don’t see that, you’re on your way to getting humbled. It is much better to start humble, to say, “Lord, You have given me this opportunity. I want to thank You for all You have given to me.”

We give from what we have been given. God asks of you and me to give of what we have, not of what somebody else has. Have you ever thought, “If I won the lottery, I’d do all these great things and be so generous and give tons away"? Statistics show that would likely not be true. Money reveals who you already are.

For most of us, our income and spending seem to go up together. Think about it. Are you still in the same kind of car you drove in high school? Do you live in the same kind of house you lived in while in college? Do you take the same kind of vacation you went on before? No. You can have millions and millions of dollars and still be strapped for cash. How in the world do we see professional athletes and celebrities go broke? The way we handle money somehow shows what’s always been there, in the secrecy of our heart: our frivolousness, our selfishness, our greed. We all say, “Mine!” But freedom comes when we say, “Lord, it’s all Yours.” When we are able to say, “Lord, we just give it to You.”

Don’t worry about somebody else, whether he has more money than you do, what you could do if you had her financial situation. You walk with God in your own heart, in your own life. All of us have different gifts, and when we are all in obedience to the Lord, He does great things with His church. Let’s keep pursuing God and say, “Lord, we need You to speak to our hearts in a great way.”

God, You are the Giver of everything I have. Help me to be grateful for all You have given me and to give it all back to You.