marrion8955@yahoo.com
“Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back–given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38 (MSG)
It is the holiday season once again, and we are inundated with requests, opportunities, and activities to which we are asked to give. From cash donations to clothing and food drives, we give because God has told us to do so and because those in need have touched our hearts. Of course, for Christians giving must be a year around activity, but we generally think of it a great deal at or before the holidays.
So are you ready to give? To what or whom should you give? So far this year I have been busy with a coat drive, worked at a food distribution center, and will be participating in a major charity function here at work by crocheting an afghan for the raffle. I love to help and don’t at all feel that I would rather be doing something else. Learning to keep my eyes open for those in need is a skill I am sharpening right now in my life so throughout the year, I want to focus on the poor and those who simply need a helping hand. God’s Word tells me in Proverbs 28:27, “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.”
Indeed, throughout God’s Word, He tells us to pay the tithe to Him, to give to the poor, and to help others around us including neighbors and family. One of my favorite Christmas’ was spent taking a single mom and her three children shopping. First we went to Costco and bought food; then we went to find an outfit for each member of the family. My favorite part was when the mom saw a beautifully dressed Victorian dressed bunny and fell in love. It was such a joy to put it into her arms, and to know that today she still has it on her bed. God tells us the reward for giving—that it will be given back to us with so much abundance that it will be poured into our laps and run over!
Tell me, does your lap run over? Think about the blessings in your life, can you name them all? Are there so many that you keep counting until you lose track? Do you take into consideration all of the blessings He gives that you take for granted? Air to breathe? Sunshine? His Body the Church? Love? Family? Work? A place to sleep at night? So often we forget Whom it is actually providing these things for us and in so doing, we neglect to give even more.
Have you ever heard it said, “You can’t outgive God”? Time and again I have heard these words regarding our giving back to Him, especially in relation to tithing. How true that is as I look over my life—I simply cannot give more back to Him than He has given me. He is so specific in His giving to me that sometimes I have simply had to laugh.
One day I was driving home from college. I was a single mother working through a two-year course (which I completed in ten months.) My son was two years old, and I was working as hard as possible to finish up early. In those days, we lived on $427 month, of which $265 was rent and $65 was childcare. It was pretty lean, but I had learned to just hand it over to Him. That day it was pouring down rain (as usual in the Northwest), and I needed books for my next courses at school.
As I drove I prayed, “Lord, You know I need $65 for new text books. I can’t figure out how to do this myself, could You please take care of it?” I picked up my son from daycare and pulled into our driveway. Leaving my son seat belted in his car seat for a moment, I made a quick dash in the rain to the mailbox.
When I pulled out the mail, I noticed an envelope with a return address from the bank that had handled my grandmother’s estate. Inside was the final division of her estate: $65…and twenty-five cents! I stood in the pouring rain laughing and thanking God. It was if He was letting me know that He was indeed in control, down to the last detail. God provided as soon as I asked. As you and I look at miracle after miracle in our own lives, we can rejoice and thank God for His attention to detail.
But when you get right down to it, we simply can’t outgive God. However, it recently occurred to me that there is one thing that you and I can do: We can “give out” God! I have discovered that although I can never give back more than He has given to me, I can “give out God” to those around me. I love to “give out God” with acts of kindness (especially in secret,) words of blessing, a hug, or quietly meeting a need that I have noticed. It is precious to me to be able to give to those whom I don’t know and to those whom I love, whether speaking blessing over them, hugging them, or offering to help out in some small way. One of my favorites is to offer to baby-sit my granddaughters—wait a minute, actually I like giving that to me!
It’s fun to give secretly at work. First thing in the morning, I come in early and make coffee, assure that the copy room is in order, deliver mail, and open up the offices of those whom I assist. I don’t tell people, and no one knows who does it. I just do it quietly each morning to honor Him. I enjoy giving at church, or family gatherings, or to my future husband. He and I look for ways to bless each other, and I know that in the coming years together, we will find even more ways to “give out God” to each other and to those around us.
You and I can “give out God” in a myriad of ways. Often we feel inadequate to do anything for God, and yet that inadequacy pushes us to our knees to call on His all-sufficiency in teaching us how to give. Every day I pray for opportunities to reach out to others, to bless them, and “give out God” in the ways He shows me.
As you give this Christmas, remember it’s not just giving gifts to people, it’s giving out the most precious gift you have been given—His Son, Jesus Christ.
Copyright 2004 by Desiree Marrion
Desirée Marrion is a member of Eastside Foursquare Church. She is a single mom, a grandmother, and an administrative assistant at a medical research facility. You may reach her at: marrion8955@yahoo.com
