Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which he has given you. Deuteronomy 16:17
He that gives to the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse. Proverbs 28:27
Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again. Luke 6:30
I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6
But the truth is that I often hate giving. My mind focuses on the fact that I have worked exceedingly hard to make something of myself. The career that I have pursued has not been given to me. I have worked crazy hours for nearly 30 years to get where I am today. When others were out living it up, socializing, and relaxing, I was at my desk or in my lab. When others were goofing around and blowing off their responsibilites, I had my nose to the grindstone. Now that I have accumulated some wealth, why should I reward the lazy who got what they deserved?
But ... what about those who are innocent victims who have had bad luck upon bad luck through no fault of their own? What about the children of poverty who came into this world to hunger and pain? What about those who have no possibility of opportunity given their culture and their lot? What about the fact that I have been blessed with talents and abilities that have allowed me to pursue my dreams and to be successful at them?
How can I say no when I understand the truth. How can I clutch so tightly to my horde when the Lord has worked so hard to pry my fingers free one by one? Today, when I look back to the miser that I once was, I really do have to smile at how far I have come. Yet I am still far from where I need to be and that is something that continues to push me.
