What Grandchildren Taught Me About Giving

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 

The town I live in has a Fourth of July Parade. It is a real slice of Americana. It is only about an hour long but it is filled with local bands,  boy scout and girl scout troops, every mascot from the local minor-league baseball team, high school reunion classes, firemen, and boys and girls in decorated wagons, on decorated bicycles, or walking their decorated dogs. It is a hoot.  

I do not remember a lot of parades when I was young but I did go to a few. I don’t remember candy but about half of those groups in our parade throw candy to the children sitting along the parade route. We learned a couple of years ago to get out some lunch bags so the kids can gather their load to take it home with them.

 

My four year old granddaughter thinks this is one great aspect of the parade! Between the two “grands” we now have a large stash of candy in our house. We suggested to my granddaughter that she give some of her candy to a little friend who had been supposed to come but couldn’t at the last minute. She did not think this was one of our better ideas! 

I tried to reason with her, “Put yourself in her position. How much fun would it be to have your friend bring you some of her candy because you couldn’t go to the parade?” It fell on deaf ears. Her mother tried pulling out a generous portion to show her how much was still left when she gave some away. This was worse because some of her favorite candies were in that bag to give away.   

What she finally agreed to do was keep her favorites and give some of the rest away. We had a very brief lesson on being a cheerful giver but too little sleep, too many nights in a row, left her without the ability to be reasoned with. The good news is that she did take some candy to her friend. Even better, her two year old brother threw in plenty of the good stuff! 

When the two year old got into the act he just reached into his bag and grabbed whatever he could to throw into the bag to give away. I have no idea what his level of understanding was but clearly he understood the conversation we were trying to have with his sister, Stella, and he was very generous. The incident got me thinking about my own giving. I wonder which one I am more like.  

I remember the first time I studied 2 Samuel and read the words of David when he said, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”  (2 Samuel 24:24)  These were convicting words. I was willing to offer God anything – as long as I didn’t feel any loss.  Sometimes God asks us to give up things that we consider favorites – like Stella’s candy. It is an act of faith in God’s goodness to actually sacrifice things we enjoy to Him.  

This may not be a tangible item. How many Christians hate giving up their time on Sunday mornings or to serve God on Wednesday night?  Perhaps they avoid teaching Sunday School or in children’s or youth programs because it would cost them time to prepare. We do it on Sunday mornings when we avoid taking the time to talk to someone because we don’t want to spend that time even if it is all that person may need.  

This can also be true with money and work. Some men are clearly called out of secular jobs into the ministry. They do not go because of the money. They are unwilling to altar their lifestyles, not trusting God to provide for them if they do what He has called them to. 

Interestingly, several years ago my husband and I were speaking with an employer we know about a valuable employee of his who was attending seminary while working full-time.  How was he planning to replace the man? His plan was to keep offering the man enough money that he would not follow that call into the pastorate. It worked. 

Of course, money is something many Christians do not want to sacrifice. For instance, many do not consider the tithe important. In Malachi 3:10 God says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” We started testing this promise many years ago and continue to be blessed by God’s faithfulness and generosity to us.  

When I look at just that – the fact that God has blessed the giving we have done, it makes me wonder why I am ever concerned about giving more. Jesus said, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” One of the points of the bigger picture of this passage in Luke 6 is that God will deal with us as we deal with others. If I am stingy with others, He will be stingy with me. If I am generous with others He will be generous with me.  

But, heart attitude is everything. If I give to get, my heart is not in the right place. If I give only what costs me nothing (no matter how much of that I give) there will be no reward. A lesson that our granddaughter needs to learn is one I need to remember and that is that God is pleased with my giving only when I am a cheerful giver.  

The generous God who willingly gave up His Son for us can be trusted to provide for us in every way.  Sometimes He will use other people to supply our needs – and sometimes He will want to use you and me to supply other people’s. Will be willing and cheerful about it?  

(Update: Stella willingly and cheerfully took a bag of candy to her friend. Her Mom reports she was delighted to hand it over. Praise God she did hear and ultimately did what pleases God, with joy!)