The Gift of Giving

“Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

If someone asks you to borrow money, help with the laundry or help move, are you willing to do it? The Bible gives us verses to tell us that we should help people who ask (Luke 6:30). When we do, it should be done happily, really wanting to help and not with an attitude like, “I guess if I have to”, or with an evil intent to get something in return for doing a “good” deed.

It is a gift to give to others because God freely gives gifts like salvation, forgiveness, love, earthly possessions, and much more to us (James 1:17). As a result, we should want to give our best to God no matter what it is. It can be giving five minutes of our time to stop and thank God for dinner, spending thirty minutes praying for a sick friend or giving one dollar and a bottle of water to a homeless person on the street.

Giving is a gift that can spread the love of Christ to a hurting world and can defeat the evil one (Romans 12:21). We defeat Satan by doing what God commands us to do only if it is done in love and not with an evil intent (Luke 6:35). That is the reason God commands us to give without expecting anything in return (Matthew 5:42). The things we do reflect our savior Jesus to the world and show who we really belong to.

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

You are the giver of everything. We learn from You how to give the right way. Jesus willingly gave His life to save ours. He is the reason for us to do the same. Help us to use the gifts You give us to help others. Please allow us to do it in a way that gives You glory and not ourselves. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!