A giver’s heart.

A giver’s heart.

Giving is a matter of the heart. The amount as significant as it is, is secondary to the state of your heart as a giver. Whenever you give, work through your heart first to see that it is in the right place because that is more important than any other thing you can think of.

What drives your giving? People are motivated by varied reasons to give or not to give. There are noble reasons and some not so noble reasons. Your giving should flow from a heart of gratitude. We give as a way of expressing gratitude to God the ultimate giver.  We also give to meet the needs of others which we can see and identify with. We give to be blessed when we understand that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We give in obedience to God’s instructions to us throughout scripture. We five to make a difference in the life of another person.

In the same vein, there some not so noble motivations like I mentioned above. When we give to receive applause, we he lost it. When we give in order to receive-transactional-then we have missed the point. Neither should we give simply to end the nagging of those who need our help. Basically giving needs to be about the other person and not a selfish affair.

A person with a giver’s heart will go out of his way to help when it is needed. They help regardless of what is going on in their own lives. They are willing to share even that which seems like it cannot be shared because it is too little. Such an individual will be willing to speak to others who can help in this situation for as long as the person is helped. He/she gives to his/her own detriment sometimes because of an overarching concern for the welfare of the recipient. My wife has such a generous spirit that even when we are struggling to make ends meet, she will still find a way to help someone who comes to her expressing dire need for help. I have been privileged to see a givers heart at close quarters.

To be a blessing in the life of others, requires you to cultivate a giver’s heart. One of the things that can help in this regard, is to remind yourself that everything you have was received from someone, somewhere. Whether you consider yourself self-made or not, some people somewhere have been involved in helping you get to where you are today. Without belittling your own efforts, which are valid, it is important that you also acknowledge the contributions of others to your success. This will give you the drive to want to give a helping hand to someone who is in dire need just like your own hand was held by someone else at your hour of need. Remember giving is not limited to money. We make a big mistake when we think that the only help that matters is financial in nature. Sometimes making time to hear someone out means more and certainly costs more than you can imagine. A word of advice that helps you navigate an uncertain path is worth more than any money you would be offered by anyone. Think about giving from a perspective that is wider than just money.

How would you say you are doing with regard to your attitude towards giving? How will you cultivate a givers heart going forward? Feel free to share your thoughts on this matter in the comments below.

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#giving #generosity #charity #BTBAB