Verse of the Day - 2 Corinthians 9:7

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)

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Well, the season for giving has almost begun. This Friday, little Treat-or-Treaters will swarm through the neighborhoods looking for treats -- from us. After that, it's Thanksgiving and the grocery stores and rescue missions will be after you to donate to help feed the hungry. And then of course, it's December, and the ringing in your ears is not a medical condition -- it's the Salvation Army with the endless droning of those bells, wanting you to fill up their pots...with your money.

Do you feel this way when you're asked for donations? Does the constant call to give your hard-earned cash get on your nerves? Do you go clear around the block to avoid those that seek your aid?

It's sad, but true -- we are selfish people by nature. Yet God has called us to a higher way -- to give instead of keep, to offer instead of avoid, to love instead of disdain. If you've been invaded by the Spirit of God, you have what it takes to love those who need help. If you have the mind of Christ, you have the capacity to be generous in meeting needs, and in doing so, are being obedient to your Father in heaven.

When you give with a cheerful heart, there is a definite heart blessing that returns to you, because you're doing what the Lord desires you to do. When you give grudgingly, you can set in motion a whole host of hostile feelings about 'what's yours' and 'why don't people just get a job' and 'I work hard for what I have'...

So I ask you: what are you willing to purpose, in advance, in your heart during this season of giving? Can you decide, on purpose and in advance, to sponsor a meal donation bag at the grocery store? What about looking up your local rescue mission's phone number, in advance, and asking where you can send a Thanksgiving donation? And then, there's the ol' Salvation Army ringers that you will undoubtedly meet during the Christmas rush of shopping. What if you chose to have a giving heart -- in advance? What if every time you saw a bell ringer, you reached in your pocket or pulled out your wallet and offered a little something, along with a smile? Although we often look people in the eye and say we don't have anything, we know it's usually a lie. How in the world is that honoring to God, huh?

If you struggle with having a cheerful heart to give, ask God to help you. Ask Him to give you a cheerful heart, to release the stranglehold you have on your chump change. Because really, that's all that most are asking for. Yet, when many give small amounts, it can make a big difference! God desires us to be part of the human solution, to be generous in spirit as He is generous in spirit, and to love others as we see needs arise.

I realize that this Scripture passage is talking about meeting needs in the church and in missionary ventures, but the need to have a right heart and a purposeful plan for giving to meet needs is applicable for whatever giving situation you face. Let's open our arms to the prospect of giving this season, and not fold our hands and our wallets shut in stinginess. Let's decide in advance what to give and be glad about it! Let's make this the year that our hearts are changed in how we look at those in need, and how we respond to those needs.

Of course, it's very debatable about whether your little doorbell-ringing Trick-or-Treaters "need" candy....but, hey, they are so cute -- how can you resist, huh? :-)

Love,
Joelene