You Can't Out-Give God

"...whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully...And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:6,8

      I sometimes struggle with giving and being generous. I know, gasp. The truth is, though, I have a sin nature that often wants to close my fists tight around the things God has graciously given me instead of sharing with others as I am intended to. But over and over again He shows me how very wrong this thinking is. Have you ever wondered why Jesus said it is better to give than to receive? 

      Over the weekend I was doing some budgeting and my husband and I agreed to pay off a few debts that we had. It wasn't in the "budget" per se but we did have the money and decided it wasn't worth waiting. So we took care of it like a big boy and girl. While we were thankful to be able to do so I won't lie and say I wasn't feeling the squeeze in the budget a bit. 😅 

      But somehow, when I double checked all the numbers to put into my handy budget app, there was extra money left over that I hadn't counted on originally. As I looked at the categories I could add the "extra" to, I pondered. Fun money, eating out, miscellaneous, household, and groceries were all options. But something inside tugged at my heart and told me the right thing to do was add it to our monthly tithes. 

     Please hear me when I say I don't tell you this to toot our own horns. I tell you this because God is so incredibly faithful and just floors me every. single. time. Today, in the mail we received two checks from previous credit cards for over payment of balances. The amounts equaled out to be around the same amount that I had added to the tithe budget!!!! (Actually a bit more) Our Lord is so faithful!

      You see, I have never once in my life acquired more from grasping and clinging to what I have. But it has always been the opening of the hands that has caused the multiplying. The releasing of the grip that causes the growth. This is so backwards and contrary to what the world teaches. But God says this is the way it works. I believe and have found this to be true.

      No we shouldn't give expecting to get back. We should give knowing that we have already received the best treasure there ever was or ever will be. Jesus Christ Himself. The radiance of God's glory. The beginning and the end. The One through whom all things are held together. We should know that we don't need to receive anything from this world because we already have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)

      But I'll tell you a secret. You can't out-give God. You just can't. Go ahead and try it. Give your time, give your energy, give your praises and worship. But most importantly of all - give your heart. You will find that you are so filled up in your life that you just can't contain it all. 

      I know that we don't all have big ol bank accounts from which to freely give. We don't all have excessive amounts of time to serve (helloooo mamas ✋) God knows that too. But as Jesus said the poor widow put in more than all the others with her two small copper coins, so too can we. It's not about the size of the bank account from which the gift comes, but the size of the heart. 

He gave us everything when He gave up His Son for our benefit. How could not give Him our very lives in return?