It's Good to Give

How many appeals we get to give and we may respond to a few or not respond thinking that we can't.

Many non-profits in America are close to closing doors in this long, long recession. This would be such a shame as countless hours of volunteer work and so much benefit to communities has happened.

I would say this is the time for America to discover; IT IS GOOD TO GIVE.  It was a life lesson for us as a young couple when we decided to give regularly. When we were poor, I saw how God made the little we had enough.

One particularly vivid memory was needing a long dress for a Christmas party and having a very small budget for it. Well, I went shopping and there was the perfect dress marked down and marked down and marked down. I had just enough cash!  It was that kind of thing that built my faith that I could give and see God multiply what was left. That dress I still have: a reminder that God knows and God provides.

Why is it good to give?
1) Because giving reminds us that what we have has been given to us.

2) Because there is a blessing in giving. Jesus said: IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

Are you afraid for your finances? There are people who have stockpiles of money and yet are afraid that they don't have enough or won't have enough. The rich need to be rich in good deeds so they won't think that money can save them and so that money won't become an idol that controls them. When we help someone else by our giving, we receive an expanded sense of peace and joy. These are priceless gifts.

3) It's good to give because we can't take anything out of this world. Stuff is stuff. America has hungry children. America has hungry families. America has bright children who need after school tutoring. America has neighbors who could use a vacation. The list is endless.  Let's open our eyes and our wallets and discover that it is very good to give. Try giving consistently every month to whatever God puts on your heart.

I was talking to the treasurer of Project Lost Sheep yesterday about a woman named Dorothy who gave small amounts to Project Lost Sheep every month for years. She rented an apartment in affluent Menlo Park. She was elderly and I suspect living on social security. One day I went to visit Dorothy and told her how much I appreciated her consistent support of our work for the children. Her home was filled with peace and she was a happy woman.

What really surprised me was that she not only gave to us but she gave to a number of other charities EVERY MONTH. Dorothy had learned that it was a good thing to give and she lived it!