During the holiday season, many people receive numerous requests from organizations seeking monetary gifts to help them fulfill their mission: helping veterans, providing food for the poor, shelter for the homeless, care for abused animals and more.
Giving selflessly is the right thing to do, though many of us are challenged by the task. Whether or not we have much money to spare, it isn’t always easy to give away what we have worked so hard for, especially when we have set financial goals—saving for retirement, a vacation or a rainy day.
Even with so many reasons to be reluctant, the pros of giving outweigh them all. When we give to those in need, either directly to a person or through an organization, we make a positive difference in the lives of others and in our own.
As Scripture reminds us, giving ensures that we are not bound by material things, but free through the abundance of faith. Author and preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, said, “We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.” May we excel in the grace of giving from what we have received from the Lord.
