Let each one give…not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

II Corinthians 9:7

Giving is a perplexing for women on the journey. It seems like we’ve been giving too much our whole lives, and that doesn’t feel good at all. So, what are we supposed to do, quit giving? No! We must relearn how to give! So many times in the past, we gave with an outlook of wanting others to see how much we were giving so they would applaud and ask admiringly, “How could you ever give so much?” Or we would give because we thought we had to in order to be loved-but resented the giving.

God loves a cheerful giver. Let’s search our hearts and consult with wise friends and decide daily how much we can give of ourselves to others. Our goal in giving should be to do it willingly, not reluctantly or under pressure. Hopefully, we can retrain our heart feelings so that we can decide from our hearts what to give cheerfully and joyfully.

We’re also told in I Chronicles 29:18-20 to give expectantly. This is a confusing thought for some of us. Perhaps it will help to think of the differences between “expect” and “demand.” To expect God to give back to us as we have given is to do as He has told us. To demand that God give certain things to us because we have given to Him will certainly end in disappointment.

Thought: When we give to God today,we can expect to receive His gifts in our tomorrows.