I've been on this earth for nineteen years and it never clicked. I never connected the dots. I am 1000% guilty of giving with expectation. Expectation of receiving. Expectation of thanks. Expectation of praise. Expectation defeats the purpose of the spirit of giving.
I have truly experienced giving on a few occasions. I remember a time I paid for the person in the drive-through behind me. I was alone, and I paid for them. I did not expect them to come and thank me, or even know who I was. I did not expect anyone to praise me, as I was alone in the car. I did not expect someone to, in turn, pay for me. Words cannot explain how great it felt. Knowing I had shown Jesus' love to an unsuspecting stranger.
"You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" -Acts 20:34-35
I challenge you to give today without expectation. Try to embody what it means to be truly generous. I am setting giving goals in my life. I have been so blessed with a wonderful family and friends and anything I could hope to own. I have lived in great environments and experienced some of life's great pleasures. So I've made a list of things that I can give. Pieces of me that I will one day be able to replace, things that I can do without, things that I have ready access to. And this year I am going to give them away. I want to truly experience God's best in my life, and I think that giving is a huge part of that. I also truly believe that, through the giving, I will receive more than I could have ever expected. I will be fulfilled.
... when you live and give without expectation, you truly have nothing to lose and no one to be disappointed by.
1 comment:
This is such a good idea! I love your wisdom :)
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