Acts 20:25 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Are you a cheerful giver? It is easier for some to give than others but what has helped my husband and I is to remember that nothing we have is truly ours anyway. Everything belongs to the Lord and what we do have, He has just given us to use or be a part of in this season. We even consider our employment and our church family as something God has given to us. This focus has helped us not to hold too tightly to anything in our possession.
God is the best example of someone who gives generously and sacrificially for that matter. He gave His own Son as a sacrifice for many. One precious memory of giving stands out in my mind from several years ago that we all can learn from. Years ago, our church was helping a refugee family settle in the United States from a Refugee Camp in Bosnia. We joined in to help with preparing a place for them to live, helping them with their paperwork once they arrived and then helped to befriend them while they settled into their new way of life. The teenagers at our church were aware of all that was needed to get ready. Everything had been donated and the apartment was prepared for the family but we still lacked one thing. The family coming had 2 parents and 3 daughters but the apartment had 2 bedrooms so we were needing to find a bunk-bed to put in the daughter’s bedroom so that everyone had a place to sleep.
I will never forget the teen who came to us and offered to give up her bunk-bed. When we asked if she was sure, that giving up her bed would mean she wouldn’t have a bed to sleep in, this was her response, “It’s ok, I know that if I give up my bed, God will meet my needs.” Both my husband and I were brought to tears. This young girl understood the principal of sacrificial giving! This precious moment will be etched in my memory as long as I live along with the precious girl with the giving spirit. And don’t you know, after she told us that she was ready to surrender her bed, someone called and donated a bunk-bed. God gave her bed back to her. What a mighty God we serve! Usually when we give, we are the ones that end up being blessed. Something happens inside of you that you just can’t explain. I pray that God helps us all to become “Cheerful Givers” and to understand the meaning of sacrificial giving!
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Personalize this prayer.
Lord,
Thank You! Thank you for loving us and for providing for all of our needs and even some of our wants too. We don’t deserve your faithfulness and are humbled by your gentle giving spirit. Help us to be more like You. Help us to live each day with a contented heart knowing that You will supply exactly what we need for each moment. We surrender all to You and if someone else needs what we have more than we do, please help us to recognize the need and eagerly jump in to give. Mold our hearts to resemble Yours in every situation.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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