CheerFULL Giving

Giving is such a blessing. The person who receives the gift is blessed and the person who gives the gift is blessed. It is a win-win!

But many times gifts may not be shared with a cheerful heart. For some, giving becomes a bitter sacrifice. And even though the person on the receiving end may be blessed, the person giving falls short of the blessing because the giving was not done cheerfully.

I have fallen short of the blessing of giving many times because I tried to hold on to something that the Lord was putting on my heart to share. Many times I may grumble as I go through the motions of completing the mundane tasks of the day instead of realizing these tasks are blessing my family. Many times I fail to realize that what I do everyday in service for my family is honoring my King. I can choose to give cheerfully or give with a bitter heart.

I have learned over the years that it is better to give than to receive. So when the Lord puts it on my heart to give, I try to do my best to do so with a cheerful heart. Last year in my Women’s Proverbs 31 group, I learned a few things about cheerful giving that I want to share with you. Hopefully one or more of these will strike a chord with you and encourage you to cheerfully give of your time, treasure, and talent.

• Don’t resent acts of service or dread them. Offer them up as a sacrifice–as a love to God and love to others.
• Consider the most mundane daily tasks an act of worship.
• Serve your family as an act of worship.
• Go through your day humming a tune in your heart.
• Turn your eyes off yourself and on to others.
• Speak to others what you would say about someone if they were there with you.
• Be quick to give love cheerfully.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

Let’s Talk

What are some ways you cheerfully give? Can you think of a time that you were hesitant to give something away?