HomeWord - Dec. 5, 2007

Do You "So Love" that You Give? 
This devotional was written by Robin Dugall

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Generosity…Giving…it would seem like words as such would flow off a Christ-follower’s tongue as easy as butter off a hot biscuit.  It would also seem that the spiritual realities of generosity and giving would be as natural to the behavior of a disciple as chasing mice is to a cat.  It would appear to even the casual student of the Bible that the incredible gifts of the Creator and Redeemer God would be enough inspiration to move even the hardest of hearts when it came to giving.  You would imagine the Almighty who moved Mt. Everest into place in a single moment in time would have little difficulty persuading a heart to give. Even so, person after person comes to a dead stop when living out the challenge of generosity. Often a follower of Jesus is more apt to “talk the talk” but not “walk the walk” when it comes to generosity.  “God so loved…that He gave…”  Giving is part of the essential nature and character of our God.  As we experience giving, we not only undergo the thrill of faithful living but we actually begin to experience what it means to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. 

I have come that you might have life and have it in abundance (John 10:10).  Those powerful words of Jesus are the words that should enable us to examine our self-focused lives against the joys of living in the flow of Jesus’ life in us.  Yet no spiritual transformation would be complete without the Holy Spirit shining His light of discernment, conviction and truth on our lives in this area of generosity. Have you ever wondered what you would see if you attempted to match up the beliefs and actions of your life over and against the will of the Father especially when it comes to generosity and giving?

Richard Foster once said to me that the quickest way to discern whether you have a selfish heart is to give something away.  So, what is the truth of your heart?  Take a dare with this challenging exercise: Try this – imagine taking all of your assets – your pension, checking account, stock funds, and equity in a house… and putting it all into cash – and then giving it all away.  Imagine.  How would you feel?  What would that reveal in you?  Talk to God about your feelings. Tell God about it. Today, think and pray on how the spirit of generosity and giving has infected your soul.  Ask God to change your nature to better reflect His nature.

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GOING DEEPER:

1. Evaluate your own generosity. What does your recent history in giving say about your heart?

2. Make a list of the top ten things you want to plan on giving away that will allow God to create in you a generous heart.

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 6:25-34; Mark 12:41-44

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