pTalking about giving can be dead awkward. Literally, when that preacher says ‘let’s talk about our giving’, and the room goes silent as a tomb. Awkward. But today’s verse reminds us why giving should be something that we can chat about freely. Why it should be open and joyful. We don’t give to tick boxes on a list of spiritual acts and we don’t give out of guilt or powerlessness; we give because we remember that we are giving to people whom God loves. Giving is sacrificial and that can be difficult to do sometimes, but when we give of our time, our energy, and our money, other people are blessed by receiving something from us. It’s not about our efforts, it’s about their need.br /
And, it’s something that we should be practising in response to God’s direction, now. We can’t wait until we’re finally in *that* job or *that* house, to decide to give extravagantly. If you want to be more generous, you have to allow God to work in you to enable you to have compassion for the people you are giving to. Again, God will change your heart as you act sacrificially, making decisions every day which allow you to give even though they can be inconvenient, awkward, or painful. Sometimes the number of needs can seem overwhelming, but as you follow God’s guidance and your passions, you will see that your giving makes a huge difference to the lives of others./p
pWhat now?br /
Time can be one of the hardest things to share, sometimes. So let’s start with that today. Set aside a specific amount of time (you decide what you can give, along with God) to do something for someone else in the next 24 hours./p