Giving

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured out unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ... Luke 6:38


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Hurricane Katrina is bringing this all back to me--

I've had to learn a lot about giving. Some of you may recall that I used to be a bonafide cheapskate. Ah, those were the days when my life was all about making something from nothing. You should have seen some of the stuff I invented! 

And of course, living frugally is one thing, but being a penny-squeezer out of fear of lack is quite another.

Then God came along and began changing me, especially in areas of obedience. Man,suddenly He wouldn't let me get away with anything! Why? Because I asked Him to change me Big Time because I was sick of who I had become. I'd created something which, it seemed, kept shattering under any little bit of stress.

Eventually, He got around to the area of giving. Especially in giving money away--money over and above our tithe. He began picking through my pocket book and my checkbook and all my fearful heart strings connected to my money. He showed me in the above verse that, in order to receive, I first had to give.

Give first, receive second. For years, I'd had that backward (and I know I'm not the only one. Anyone else out there?).

I'm glad God is patient. I've probably made Him insane on this one. But finally, in the last few years, I've begun to listen--and really give. At least, stepping it up over where I'd been.

I'm still learning when He says, "Give money," I need to give money. Not food, not blankets, not old, or even new clothes--but money. I really have my nerve when I substitute what He's asking me to give! When He tells me, "Give $30," I am being disobedient when I give only $20. Or even $25. Alternately, when He says to give food or blankets or clothes, I need to give food or blankets or clothes.

To obey is better than sacrifice. Seriously.

I love having a history with God. I love that I've watched Him come through for us hundreds of times as we've been faithful to give. Heck, half the time on paper our finances don't even 'work out'--they don't make sense. But then, long ago we stopped waiting for God to make sense. 

We stopped waiting for His ways to be like ours.

And now, having enough to give feels terrific. I'm glad God is much bigger than a spreadsheet and a bank account, but then, He'll always be only as big in my life as I let Him.


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