Walking With Christ

Happy leap day!

Proverbs 11:24-25 (24)One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (25)Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.(ESV)

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (6)The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (7)Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.(ESV)

If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’m a cheerful giver. I’ve been called generous, but I think that is more about being obedient than anything else. I feel called to give without question. Giving has often left us in a situation where we had to rely on His hidden blessings just to get by. The thing that I’ve noticed about this is that this leaves me with a constant level of stress.

The fact that I am stressed over it tells me that I’m not fully trusting the Lord or I’m not fully convinced that I’m really being called to give as I do. This is something that I’ve struggled with for many years. We’ve never been let down. We’ve not always had money left over out of each check, but we’ve never gone without.

God loves a cheerful giver. Lately, I’ve been praying for clarity about what I give and why. Lately, I’ve been trying to find the source of my doubts because doubt is the very enemy of faith.

Father,
You are the greatest giver the world has ever known. You gave You Son to make a way for us to be reconciled with You. You gave this most amazing and precious gift cheerfully and freely. You knew that this would be needed before You formed the pile of dirt into Adam. Thank You for the lessons about the heart of a giver. Thank You for showing us Your heart, the one we want to emulate, through Your own sacrifice. The obedience of Jesus, even to the point of death, showed that love is stronger than fear. Open our eyes, Father, to Your mercy and grace in our lives. Help us to see the true sources of our doubts. Put a hedge of protection around those weak points and forgive us when we falter and fail to rely on you. Restore our faith to one that glorifies You and Your kingdom. Give us strength when we are weak. Thank You, Father, for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for the work You are doing in us and through us. We praise Your holy name and sing to the glory of the kingdom.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.