Joy of Giving
I heard an old preacher say one time "God keeps good books". I have taken that to heart and no matter how much I give of my time, my money, and any other resource that God has so graciously given me, I know that He is the rewarder and He will repay what I have freely given. Some will settle for the rewards and accolades of men, but I will sow my life into the Kingdom and expect nothing in return from men. What a privilege it is to freely give everything and withhold nothing from our Loving Savior.
This past year God has transformed my thinking on money and giving. My wife and I made a decision at the beginning of the year to increase our giving by 5%, and God has blessed us. Now we are excited about increasing it another 5% this coming year. I don't say that in any way to pat ourselves on the back, but to encourage everyone that giving is the key to freedom. It is the way to blessing in the kingdom. It is very difficult to break out of our hording, me first mentality, but if you obey God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you out of that limited place, God will bless you and bring you into a new place of abundance and fruitfulness in His kingdom.
Give much and give freely and God will reward you.