If you are a giver, why is being generous with your financial resources important to you? Maybe you think about giving as a regular act of faith and trust in the Lord’s provision. Maybe you know that practicing being openhanded is an important way you can combat greed. Or perhaps you love to lean into the joy of giving and the blessing of meeting the needs of those around you.
On the flip side, if you do not choose to give, why is that? What are the roadblocks you experience when you think about giving? Maybe you feel like you don’t make enough money to give any away. Perhaps you feel that others will not use your generous gifts wisely. Or maybe you feel that generosity is the domain of those who are wealthy—or at least wealthier than you.
Many factors can keep us from experiencing the blessing of stewardship. We want to be found faithful when we meet God face to face. But once we’ve closed our fists around something that we’ve been given, it’s hard to open our hands again. We can fall into the trap of believing that giving generously is someone else’s job, or we can feel burdened by the harsh reality of meeting financial obligations with limited resources.
It is important to remember that God is fully aware of our lives, our commitments, and our financial obligations. That is why He provides. Stewardship is about managing the resources we have been given, and Scripture is clear that giving is not just for those who have accumulated wealth. In fact, one of the greatest compliments Jesus gave a good steward was to the widow who had little to give but was faithful with what she had (Mark 12:41–44).
Choosing to give wisely and generously is a critical spiritual practice for Christians who seek to grow their faith and encourage the Church; do not rob yourself of the blessing of giving. Take time to recount to yourself how the Lord has provided for your needs in the past. If you are a giver, rejoice in how the spiritual habit of generosity has helped you draw near to the Lord. If you are not yet a giver, consider what roadblocks you experience when it comes to giving, and ask the Lord to help you approach them with fresh eyes.
