2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Sorry about the late post this week...the last few days have been a bit crazy with work, etc. :)
I can't believe that Christmas is less than a week away!! I'm always a bit sad when the Christmas season draws to a close; it's my favorite time of year. (As if I haven't already said that. ;)
In this season of giving, so many have a really wrong idea of what it truly means to give in a Godly way. We as Christians need to have our focus on the right things, at Christmas time just as any other time! So what does this mean in practice? Here are five characteristics of a Godly giver. (Note: this verse is usually applied to the aspect of giving to the church in tithes and offerings. However, today I'm going to broaden the application out to include giving in general. :)
- Godly givers purpose in their heart beforehand what they can give. They do not go into debt in order to give extravagant gifts that are beyond their current means. They also put thought into what they do get. Whether they make homemade gifts, or buy them, they consider what they are doing and think about what the recipient of the gift would like or need.
- Godly givers do not give grudgingly. Someone with a Christlike attitude is not going to be saying, "Ugh, I guess. Here. You owe me." They give without expectation or demands for a return gift.
- Going hand in hand with the last one, Godly givers do not give of necessity. They don't only give to someone when that person has done something nice for them, or to "pay off a debt". They give because they truly want to be a blessing to another person!
- Godly givers are cheerful in their sharing. They understand that there is a very specific blessing reserved for those who give in the right way. They give with a joyful heart, knowing that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
- Godly givers do not just give at Christmas or other holidays, nor do they give only to those who are nice to them. They give unselfishly, no matter the person or the circumstances.
Think for a moment about the greatest gift of all time, given by the Father to the world. God did not give His only Son with a sour attitude, but with a love that we can never fathom. Jesus did not give His life grudgingly or of necessity. He owed us nothing. Less than nothing. In fact, we all deserve to perish anyway. And yet He still gave His all in order to rescue us. With such an example before us, how can we not give in the same way?
This Christmas, I want to challenge you to strive to be a Godly giver. The THINGS you are giving do not matter! If all you can give is a smile, or a hug, or a listening ear...do it with a cheerful heart. God loves and blesses those who give as He did.
I have a four day weekend for Christmas, so I am really excited about that! I look forward to spending time with my family. I hope all of you have a blessed week! What are some of your favorite things about Christmas? <3
Mykaela
There's a song we had in a church Christmas cantata once that's entitled "I Love Everything About Christmas"... That pretty much sums up my attitude on the season!☺
ReplyDeleteAlso,for me it isn't just Christmas Day,it's everything from the first snow to the hot peppermint cocoa to the planning gifts to the continuous playing of Christmas music. I love it all!
That was a great post! I've actually never heard that verse applied to a broader scale than jusdt tithing and offerings,so I enjoyed that perspective. Have a very blessed Christmas!
Yes, Jenny, that is a perfect description of my feelings about Christmas too!! :) Even just the feeling of knowing that it's Christmastime, and there are presents for my family tucked away in my room, and I get four whole days to enjoy the Christmas spirit and music and...ahhh. It's the most wonderful time of the year! ;)
ReplyDeleteHello Mykaela. I am Shawn Elam living in Russia. I have been reading your posts off-and-on and have enjoyed every one that I have read. This post has been a personal blessing to me in that it really shows the heart of a true follower of Christ. I am so thankful to know that there are still young people in this world that have a burning desire to serve the King. Those people (especially the ones I know) I count as true and special friends. Many times it is quite discouraging for me to see so many young people here in Russia waisting their lives instead of giving it to Christ. My desire is to reach those young people and to bring them unto Christ. May God bless you for your good work and for the way you have helped others.
ReplyDeleteFor the Glory of the King!!
Shawn
Hello, Shawn! Thank you so much for your kind comment...it really made my day! :) I completely agree with you concerning the youth of our day. It is so, so heartbreaking to see how many are simply selling themselves out to the world!! I'm not sure if you read the post I did a few months back, entitled "An Open Letter to My Generation"...here is the link to that: http://makingmusickforthemaster.blogspot.com/2016/06/sunday-snippets-open-letter-to-my.html
DeleteIt is my hope and prayer that through my blog I can reach people who I cannot reach in person, and that through my life I will touch the lives of those I do meet with! I am so thankful for the impact that you and your family are making in Russia, as well. Sometimes I know it can get discouraging if you don't see fruit quickly, but we will never know how many lives we have been instrumental in changing, until we reach Heaven! Keep on keeping on!
Mykaela