A Cheerful Heart
your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."
"give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
giver?
I am prompted often to think of these questions. For me being generous with my talents and abilities come fairly easy. I love to give of myself. I also love to give gifts to people. Whether it be practical gifts or just crazy off the wall gifts. I love to bless people. At the current moment, we live under very tight finances and our ability to give has been reduced. I have struggled with not being able to do that which I want for others. Does that mean I don’t give? Absolutely not.
However, there are times when I don’t have such a cheerful attitude. When I feel forced to give, my attitude becomes a bit grouchy. And let’s be honest, we can hear this word tithe at church and feel “forced” to put money in the offering plate. I can be guilted into giving money to this person or that charity for various reasons. Because I don’t like to say no, I give and then complain about giving.
I have just portrayed two very drastic views of giving: giving cheerfully and out of a pure heart or giving out of requirement or guilt. The second of which is not a healthy view of giving. God does not desire us to give out of guilt or because we have to. God wants us to give out of a joyful heart. He wants us to give to others because He has given us so much.
Nothing I have is mine. Everything I have is God’s. If it’s the last quarter in my pocket, it still belongs to God. When I remind myself that everything I have is His, it makes it a bit easier to give with a cheerful heart. The next time that you find yourself grumbling about giving, take a minute to do a heart check. Stop and look around you at what you have. Even on a very limited income, know that what you have is because of Him. I look around my home and could pride myself on what we have. (Which I have been known to do before unfortunately.) However, what really needs to be said is look what God has provided so graciously for me. You see, without God and His provision, we would be nomads wandering around looking for food and a place to pitch a tent. But God chose to bless us and to give us a different way of life! My heart overflows with thanksgiving as I remember what God has done and how He has provided!
Just this week I had to remind myself again of God’s faithfulness to provide. I was reminded of the many unexpected gifts God has provided for us. I thought of a night when Zine and I were travelling home late from a church where he served as youth minister and we had not a dollar to our name for dinner. We had already discussed this and knew we had gas to get back but we did not have the money to buy dinner along the way. Know what God did? He sent a man to Zine with $20 and said buy you and Karen dinner on your way home. Now how in the world did he know we had discussed we had no money for dinner? He didn’t. He just was generous in giving. When our big kids were young, we had a young couple bring us a Christmas basket and in it we found a card with a good bit of money in it. When I called the wife and said, there is no way I can take this money she explained that God had told her and her husband to give to Zine and I and we could not tell God no. Another time our air conditioner went out and we simply did not have the money to pay for a new one. Given the opportunity, we would have been totally overwhelmed at having to purchase a new air conditioner but God did not even give us the opportunity to be overwhelmed. He immediately sent a gift through someone else that alleviated some of that financial burden. Why? Because someone was a generous giver and was obedient to God. As I recall every one of those scenarios, I recall them with great blessing!! They were actually huge blessings in our life from $20 to several thousand dollars. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the gift is we give, it is the attitude in which we give that makes all the difference in the world.
Have you given a tithe with a cheerful heart or a begrudging heart? If it is a begrudging heart, then take some time today to remember all God has provided for you and how He has chosen to bless you. Ask Him to help you give with a cheerful heart out of abundance for what He has done for you.
Have you given to our Family Assistance Ministry or Community Assistance Ministry? If not, maybe you could pray about giving an extra amount to one of these ministries. After all, it is only because of God’s grace that you have a paycheck. It could be taken away in a second. So choose to honor Him today with what He has graciously given you.
When was the last time you showed someone you loved them by doing an act of service for them or surprising them with a little surprise?
Here’s a challenge for you: Today choose a way in which you can give generously with a cheerful heart. One, Two, Three, Go. Bless someone today through your generous giving! And spend some time thanking God along your way for His gracious provisions in your life!
--Karen Smith
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