God is the Giver of all the best gifts, culminating of course in the gift of His very own Son, offered as a ransom for our sins. So we are most like God when we are giving. In our generosity, we reflect the giving nature of our Creator. To put it another way, you are hard-wired to be a giver, but sin and selfishness sometimes gets in the way.
Paul once challenged the church with these words,
"Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us —I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving."
- 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use a special word in that verse. The phrase you see as “gracious act” refers to giving as an ability we have as the result of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our giving natures may be clouded by the selfishness of sin’s effects, but giving has been rewired into who we are as believers.
And since it’s who we are by creation, and then again by re-creation, it’s something we are all able to do, regardless of our resources. We can be givers, and according to Paul, we can grow as givers. So why not put this gift into practice and decide to grow in it – to give to someone or some cause today in a way that you haven’t before. Stretch your faith, go out on a limb, and do something for someone else that requires a sacrifice of your time, your energy, or your financial resources.
Give it a shot!
