Giving

Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8

I believe without a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord looks down with favor on those of us that give. You can give when you have abundance and you can give when you have nothing. The important thing is to highlight the sacrifice that giving entails. I am not talking about boasting the size of the gift, or telling others that you gave. No, I am talking about anonymous giving.

You see, I once heard about a friend of Dave Ramsey’s who paid for an entire year of electricity for a woman in their church because he was wealthy and set up his family for success. That kind of incredible generosity is what I hope to aspire to someday. In the interim, I am hoping to help you see your goals/dreams come to fruition so that you can, in turn, become generous givers as well!

If you are a believer, the Bible says that you should give 10% of your increase (we won’t get into whether or not you should tithe on the net or the gross). You should be able to live off of the other 90%! If you are a non-believer, I feel that you should be giving to a noteworthy cause/charity of your choice. Whatever donation you feel compelled to offer, that is your decision to make.

Giving is not always monetary. You can give your talents, your time and your service. The different ways you give speaks volumes to your character. Have you ever seen a face light up from a homeless person who receives a handout from you? It is a wonderful feeling!! I once met two men on the streets. I felt a very strong stirring in my heart that I should talk to them. I went home, grabbed some oranges (all I really had at the time) and went back to the iceplant that they were standing in. I ended up walking across the street with them to an El Pollo Loco and sat down with them for a meal. We chatted about their goals and dreams – they wanted to get into construction but didn’t have any money for work boots. They had job offers waiting for them if they could only get those boots! I didn’t have much money to give to him for that cause, but I had enough to pay for the meal. One day, I hope to be given the opportunity to buy the “boots” or whatever it would be to land someone a job or work.

I say this to inspire you to think outside the box and get outside your comfort zone. Pay for someone’s groceries, pay for someone’s gas, pay for the coffee for the person behind you in the drive thru. We live in very interesting times right now, and you can make someone’s day with a small gesture.

The point is: sow generously and reap generously.