He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:34-37

But, since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 
2 Corinthians 8:7

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God is an excellent and generous giver, and as His followers, we want to be giving people too. We give in many ways, and often, we don’t even think we are giving! This generosity comes naturally and without thought. For example, I love spending time with people and practicing the ministry of presence. It doesn’t matter if the person I am with is having a particularly difficult time stirred by loss, or wants to celebrate a joyful occasion like a promotion or retirement, I love to give myself and my time to simply be with people in it all. My husband gives his time weekly in a completely different way by organizing the freezers in the Care Center and driving to local grocery stores for food items that can be distributed to families in need. 

We give our time, our attention, our prayers, and our physical bodies to help out in many ways, and when we do, we are following the ways of God. But, do we excel in giving our dollars? Why are we more hesitant to give our money to our churches, organizations, or individuals doing the good work of ministry? 

I know for me, it is a matter of trusting that God will provide. It is a matter of allowing my heart to believe that I have enough, even more than enough. Over time I have realized that I am participating in more ministry because my dollars are funding ongoing work in the name of Jesus. This is ministry I cannot participate in physically, and yet, God has provided a way for me to be able to be a part of so many good works through financial generosity.

As I grow in giving, especially with my dollars, I enjoy not being tied to my money and am more focused on my Father in heaven. Money does not have a hold on me, and seeing my capacity for ministry expand in ways that are beyond me is a blessing to my soul. God is a giver, and as His followers, we are to be givers as well. 

Next Steps

Today, ask God to give you the desire to give and then start giving regularly! It does not have to be a lot; whatever you decide to give, give and don’t forget to reevaluate after some time goes by. You can even set up a weekly recurring gift of $1 to the Dollar Club—that’s $4 a month! We excel in giving through continued practice. Start this week and give something. Then ask God to open your eyes to the ways He is caring for you as you grow in generosity.