This Grace of Giving

"But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving."
2 Corinthians 8:7

The Christmas season is known as a season of giving. We give gifts to family and friends during this time when we celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth of Jesus. Most find it easy to give during this season. It has been so ingrained in us that we will give generously without giving thought. A giving lifestyle, however, requires us to give at all times, not just during Christmas. We are encouraged to "Excel in this grace of giving."
     We are all aware of the difficult economic times we are facing. More people are unemployed than ever before. Even more significant is the fact that more people are under employed than ever. This means they are earning less money than ever before. This points us to a great need. We should be giving as much as possible. There are people who are in tremendous financial need. There are millions who do not have the basic necessities to live healthy, normal lives. No longer are these people in only distant third-world nations, they may be our neighbors, our friends, our families, or the person sitting next to us in church.
    The New Testament teaches us to give out of our plenty to help those who are in need. There are some who can give large amounts of money, there are those who can only give a small amount. But the majority of us can give. Remember, Jesus praised the widow who gave two small coins. He said that she had given more than those who brought great sums of money. You see, it is not the amount that is important, it is the heart that gives it. Many of us attend churches that depend on the gifts of the people to sustain ministry. It is vitally important that we participate in the blessing of giving. But it is also important for us to pay attention to the world around us. If the Holy Spirit moves you to help those in foreign nations, do it with all your heart. If you are moved to help a person you know, do it with joy of heart.
    During a great time of financial need in my own life, a man approached me at church. He handed me an envelope with some money in it. He explained that the Lord had prompted his family to give to us. This continued over the course of several months. Every Sunday, he would hand me an envelope with cash inside. It wasn't a large amount of money, but the blessing to my family and to theirs far exceeded the amount.. This is the grace of giving. Both the giver and the recipient are blessed.
    I encourage you to excel in the grace of giving. It doesn't matter how much you give. What does matter is your heart. You may give money, you may give time, you may serve others as God empowers you. However you give, do it with a heart of love. When we give, it is prompted by our love for God. When we give to a hurting person, we are giving to Jesus. When we help someone in need, we are doing it as unto God himself. A giving lifestyle expects nothing in return. The reward is an eternal, heavenly one. Giving releases God's blessing. He uses us to extend his grace to others, then he blesses us. In this way, the joy and provision never run out. This is the grace of giving and we are called to be excellent givers.