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Being generous when you don’t feel like it

We all love to help people! Who else loves that feeling when you do something generous for someone else? Maybe you bought your friend some lunch or offered to pay for their fuel. Those moments are great.

You know the moments that feel even greater? When you’re generous when you shouldn’t be. 

Maybe you’re in a pinch financially but you still offer to buy your friend coffee because they’ve had a rough day, or you’ve had a big day at work but you decide to be the one to cook dinner before your partner comes home (hot tip: that’s a winner!)

When generosity comes from sacrifice, it impacts us far more than when it’s convenient.

What does your generosity towards God look like? Does your tithe sit nicely within your budget, the first thing you figure out in your pay-check, or are you figuring how much is left over at the end of the pay-check that you can offer?

In Deuteronomy, God’s people are instructed to bring the “first of their produce” to God. This wasn’t because God likes his wheat fresh and the best apples to eat (no one likes the mushy ones). This was God leading their hearts to VALUE Him rather than giving what is easy and therefore not expecting much in return. Give big to expect big.

What we give is the reflection of our hearts—a sacrifice reflects an attitude that says “this might hurt now, but I know I need God more”, while a manageable convenience reflects something like “I don’t really need God to be there for me; I’m safe”.

When we put God first, we are making room for Him to move through every area that comes after.

For reflection:

1. Is generosity a sacrifice, or a convenience? 
2. Does God get the FIRST of what you earn, or is it the last?