The 'Cheer' In Cheerful Giver - Kgomotso King
Have you ever had an opportunity to give and the first thought you had, was how giving was going to leave you with less of something and what that would mean for you? Yet God says; He loves a cheerful giver! So where do we find the cheer in giving?
It is more blessed to give than to receive, doesn’t always “feel” like it and most of the time we don’t see what we expect that blessing to look like. Giving is actually an invitation and these are some of the things that can not only help us accept the invitation, but accept it cheerfully.
Have a Heavenly perspective
Giving is an eternal activity done in the temporary. We craft our eternity by what we do today and giving is a key tool. When we walk in a heart of generosity and are ready to share what we have, we are actually storing up treasure as a good foundation for the future, so that we may experience true life.
Luke 12:33 tells us that these store houses are in Heaven. When we give, we’re doing what the bible describes as “good works” and from these works, our Father in Heaven is glorified. So, let’s shift our perspective to a heavenly one; where our record of giving endures forever (2 Corinthians 6:9).
Be Spiritually aware
When we give, we are actually extending the Kingdom of God because we’re touching people’s hearts and walking in Jesus’ likeness. The world experiences Jesus through us when we give; especially those who don’t know Him. Giving is sowing into the Kingdom of God; which is all spiritual. It’s a demonstration of God’s heart to people, which opens up a door to them knowing and experiencing Jesus.
It’s a Heart check
Giving is so simple but can get muddied by other things, because like most things in the Word of God, giving is all about revealing our heart. Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Every human is given treasure to prove where their heart is. What we do with what we have, tells a story of the condition of our hearts. Our true priorities are highlighted and our belief systems are on display. Giving reveals the largeness or smallness of our heart. A large heart has room for others, while a small one is focused on self. When our hearts are healthy and focused on God, our giving shifts to reflect His purpose and His heart for people.
Be aware of what you have to give
We all have something to give. When we think about giving; we often think of money and end up disqualifying ourselves from giving, but Peter said “silver and gold I don’t have, but what I have, I give to you'' (Acts 3:6).
What do we have that we can give? A total list will look different from person to person, but some of the things we all have in common to give are:
1. The Power of the Holy Spirit: Just like Peter in Act 3:6, we can give prayer and the power of Jesus to someone who doesn’t have it or doesn’t know Him.
2. Talent: We can give our talents, skills or abilities to help and bring joy to the next person. We can go further and be intentional in sharpening those talents in order to impact more people.
3. Time: We can dedicate time and days to serve and take care of others. Give your day on Sunday to serve at church or give one evening out of two weeks for Connect.
4. Trade: Similar to talents, we can give our trade to people and offer solutions and services to those in need.
5. Words: We can use our words to put courage in others and speak life over them and their situations.
Giving is part of good stewardship.
We can fall into the idea that stewardship is frugal living and end up holding on to things. But stewardship is having a clear understanding that whatever you have is not yours, so you look to the owner to determine how it is used. In other words, doing what God says to do with what He has given us. One of the key things He says to do with what He has given us, is give.
“Freely you have received; freely give.” - Matthew 10:8
Written by Kgomotso King
Kgomotso is married to Sean and they are on team at Kingdomcity in Zambia. They have three beautiful children together.