The Power of Giving

A thankful heart.  I believe that a thankful heart often reveals itself through the acts of giving.  Therefore, in light of Canadian Thanksgiving and this personal belief, a post on the power of giving is completely relevant.

This past month, I have met some incredibly gracious and giving people.  Their grateful hearts and loving attitudes are admirable.  From sacrificing time and money, to investing wholeheartedly in others' lives -- these people have been an inspiration to me.

I am sure it is no coincidence that I have met these people all very close together.  I am sure that it is God's way of using these people to speak to my heart.

I like to think of myself as a giving person, but after meeting these people and seeing their hearts, I would say I lean on the more selfish side of things.  Some of these people I have seen give to complete strangers and some I have seen give to those who cannot give back in any way.  All of them I have noticed that they expect and want nothing in return.  

They are giving to give of their hearts.  They are giving for a greater purpose. Their giving is changing their communities and the people around them.  Their giving is a wonderful representation of God's love.

I want to be this type of giver.  I yearn to live like these people I have met.  Yet when I thought about it, I became at a loss.  Where to start?  How to begin?  How can I become more giving...more loving?

These are 4 steps I am taking to become more of a giver and to show God's love.  Will you join me!?

1.  Eyes Need to be Opened.  God needs to show me where HE wants me to give -- where HE wants me to open up my heart to.  I must lean on Him to show me.  To do this I must pray that He opens up my eyes and my heart to see and know where it is He wants me to invest.  In the midst of praying I need to keep my eyes open -- look around me to where I can be a helping hand, a giving spirit.

2.  Start With What You Know.  In order to have the attitude of giving and that mindset of giving you can start with the people and the things you know.  Who has God already placed in your life that you can bless with a giving heart?  What needs do you know of from the people surrounding you?  From family to friends to neighbours -- reach out with a plate of baked cookies, a home cooked meal, time spent together, an afternoon of babysitting, a written encouraging card, etc.  Once started, more and more opportunities will be made known to you as to how you can bless those who are already in your life. 

 I am choosing to pick one or two ways to intentionally give a week.  I am so excited about this new calling I believe God has put on my life but I don't want to overwhelm myself to the point of giving up after a couple weeks.  Simply one meal, one loaf of pumpkin bread, one special outing for someone who needs it, one encouraging card a week.  When I feel I can move on to more, I will.  I encourage you to start with only one or two things a week as well.

3.  Minimize Your Possessions.  I have begun the process of organizing and minimizing my possessions.  I have so much stuff that is not necessary and is not needed.  As I am doing this I am slowly becoming less and less attached to my stuff.  As this happens, my heart becomes open to more sharing and loving others with the things I own.  As silly as this sounds, I can be pretty possessive with certain things I have -- say my favourite jacket, a new shirt, etc.  As I am beginning this process of eliminating, my possessiveness is becoming less and in return a spirit of giving of this stuff that God has entrusted to me is sprouting.

 I think about the church in Ephesus where the Christians gave to those who needed it and no one was in need.  How incredible.  (Acts 2: 42-46)  I believe this spirit of giving is entirely possible and definitely needed in our churches, our communities, and our neighbourhoods.  We can begin this simply by taking our own possessions less seriously and as less of a need.

4. Take From Your 'Me' Time.  This one might shock you since I have talked before about how important it is to set apart 'me' time in each and every day.  When I say take I mean minimize, I do not mean completely eliminate.  I have a bad habit of obsessively binge watching TV shows when I am feeling a bit drained.  Instead of spending 3 hours doing this one night, I want to chose to spend 1 hour for myself and then spend the rest of the time preparing the meal to give, writing the card for a friend, etc. etc.  While I don't have every night to do this and life IS busy, I do have time to sacrifice and give for someone else.  I also feel that as I am doing this and as time goes on, I begin to truly enjoy it (and I believe you will too!) that in a way these acts of giving become my 'me' time.