Be a giver (2)

Paul wrote, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The giving that God rewards is purposeful giving when it’s done with a cheerful attitude. Here are three ways to do that: (1) Put people before yourself. Every one of the things of this world, including fame and fortune, is temporary. Individuals are what matter. Your job, pastimes, and other interests will die with you. People live on. The true measure of success is not in the number of individuals who help you but in the number of individuals you help (see Galatians 5:13). (2) Don’t let stuff own you. No one should ever become a slave to their stuff. No one should make their life’s work about obtaining more just to have more. If you want to be in control of your heart, don’t let belongings take control of you. The question is, “Do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you?” Givers use what they own as a resource to make this world a better place to live. And they do this regardless of how much or how little they have (see Matthew 6:21). (3) Define success as sowing, not reaping. Robert Louis Stevenson said, “I consider the success of my day based on the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap.” That should be the way we judge not only our days but our entire lives (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-10). If you live life with the intention of enriching the lives of others, your life will be full, not empty.