Give

Give

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.”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK—how much should we give?” I glanced at Aaron’s profile in the driver’s seat, broaching the subject of meeting a need we’d encountered the night before.

One of the things I love most about my husband, Aaron, is his generosity. He tends toward extravagant, often going above and beyond in his caretaking of those around him. He picks up hard-to-find favorite desserts and beverages as a part of his travel for work, delivering a beloved treat from a faraway place to a neighbor or friend upon arriving home. He lends a hand moving, hauling, and building for friends of friends. He mans the grill and refills the buffet line, happy to let others visit during our backyard barbecues.

And while all of these things are good, it’s his generosity with money that often has me quietly thanking God that I married such a genuinely good man. When encountering a financial need, I’ve learned to ask Aaron what he thinks and then bite my tongue on my instinctive stingy response of “that’s too much” at the number he suggests. He’s almost always right, almost always tuned in to the number Jesus would whisper also to me, if I only stopped and listened instead of wanting to immediately raise a protest.

I’ve learned to follow Aaron’s lead in generosity and have watched as—over and over—God has provided even as we’ve taken care of others. While many Scriptures discuss the technicalities of tithing, our heart condition matters as we give. Giving while reluctant or grumpy is not what God wants. Everything we have has been given to us by God, and he looks for people who’ll hold his resources in open hands, willing to partner with him when asked. We cannot outgive God, and when we give without grumbling, he brings blessings back to us in exponential ways.

Lord, unclench our fists from the resources you’ve provided and align our hearts with yours, knowing that giving freely and cheerfully will be a blessing for others as well as ourselves. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Meet a need with heart-stopping generosity this week, and watch how God returns the blessing.