All For Giving

Most of the time I dread giving and, to be honest, I'm scared of giving. Selfishness and the fear of not having enough force my hands shut. That's a scary place to be in. 

When we withhold good from others, we risk growing deaf to the cries of the needy and numb toward the heart of the weak. 

Constantly closing our hands creates a callous on our hearts so we cannot feel the nudge of compassion. 

So, how can we be all for giving and not against it? The best way to cultivate a generous heart is to draw near to God's generous heart. 

When we look to the open-handedness of God and His Son, Jesus, we are motivated to cheerfully and unsparingly give to others. 


We can be all for giving because Jesus is all for us, and we are all for God's glory. 

Jesus is all for us

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...You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. 2 Corinthians 9:9,11

Jesus already purchased for us (with his own body) the greatest gift of all, salvation from death and sin, friendship and eternity with God. So, in Christ, we already have everything we need. This promise frees us to give abundantly. 

The root sin behind selfishness, like most sins, is unbelief. When we withhold good from others, we do not trust that God will keep His promise to meet our own needs 
(Phil 4:19). The Lord will replenish the cheerful giver, whether in this present time on earth or in our future eternity in heaven (2 Cor. 9:10). 

No matter how much "stuff" we have, as sons and daughters of the Provider, we can always cheerfully and fearlessly give out of a place of plenty. 

God gets glory 

For the ministry of this service (generosity) is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. They will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others. 2 Corinthians 9:12-13

Giving multiplies thanksgiving to God. We are the open hands of Jesus. When we give to others, we follow Christ's example by reflecting the Father's generosity to a needy world. The result? God is glorified! 

Generosity is a tangible picture of the gospel. It not only helps peoples' physical needs but, more importantly, it causes others to give thanks to God. 

When we recall to mind just how much God has given to us, we can't help but give what we have to others so they, too, can give thanks to God. 

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In a society that promotes "self-care" and "self-empowerment", selfishness is a difficult truth to admit. How we spend our time, money, and resources reveals where our heart is. If we primarily seek to meet our own needs, we love ourselves more than others. 

However, when we do choose to give as God has given to us, God will bless our giving. He will increase our joy, thanksgiving, and heavenly reward. 

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Matthew 10:42 

The Girl ☎︎ Next Door

What is Love?

What is love? How we answer this question dictates our future relationships and overall contentment in life. 

People describe love as the butterflies you get in your stomach when you see that guy walking toward you. Some people say love is an intense feeling of deep affection. And others say it is the excitement you feel when doing something you enjoy. 

I believe we, as Christians, find the best definition of love at the foot of Jesus' cross. By studying Jesus' love, we find some necessary components that make up this complex thing called love. 

Love requires want

No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. John 10:18

Jesus's death was not "divine child abuse." Jesus desired to do the will of the Father (Is. 53:10, Jn.63:8). He died for the joy set before Him. Love is not loving if it is forced. We willingly love others because Jesus willingly loved us. 

Love requires sacrifice 

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant. Philippians 2:4-6 

Love requires that we give up something of our own, whether it be our time, our resources, our money, our pride, our patience, our comfort, or our security. In Jesus' case, he gave us his entire life. Love is choosing to give even when we don't feel like it, even when we don't want to, and even when we want to stop. 

Love does not require anything in return 

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5

We will never be able to pay Jesus back for the love He extends to us. He chose to save us while we were empty, poor, and dirty. And now that we have the riches of Christ as righteous friends of God, Jesus continues to save us, even though we are still unable to repay him. Jesus' love toward us is a free gift. Love freely shares Christ's love with others, not demanding or expecting anything in return because we know we did not earn that love to begin with. 

Love does not require a deserving recipient 

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

We consider others deserving or undeserving of our love based on things they can control, like their actions, and on things they cannot control, such as their appearance, personality, or preferences. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, enemies of God. So, because Jesus' ever-abundant grace covers our ever-increasing sin, we can freely give that same grace to others. No matter who they are or what they have done. 

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Looking at these definitions, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. No one loves perfectly. The freeing truth is, true love comes only from God. 

God's love gives us security and hope. When we ground ourselves in this love, we can use it as a reliable, steady fountain to draw our love from. If love was based only on romantic or happy feelings, our love would constantly dry up.  

Praise the Lord that our love is based on this truth: God unceasingly and unconditionally loves us. We have the greatest, purest love. This promise gives us the strength to unceasingly and unconditionally love others. 

The Girl ☎︎ Next Door