Photos by Guy Gerrard
I remember the first time I felt ashamed of my giving.
I was sitting beside my sister at church. The lights were dim. A worship song played. I clutched exactly 10 percent of my babysitting earnings in my hand, ready to put it in the offering plate. My younger sister put her entire allowance in the offering plate. As I saw her generosity out of the corner of my eye, I remember envy and guilt filling me.
Hello, giving shame. Goodbye, cheerful giver heart.
When I gave to church or missions, I felt it wasn't enough. Others were always doing more.
Then, one day, I met with a man named David who changed my outlook on giving.
Wearing a crisp suit, David welcomed me into his office for a free financial advisory appointment. He explained his passion to see people's hearts honor God as they give to the eternal kingdom. David shared wisdom and practical tips.
“You can give and not be generous, but you cannot be generous and not give – it’s a matter of the heart,” he told me.
He explained how God invites us to be generous and how eternal investments yield the best dividends. David had me take a questionnaire about my finances and then create goals. My goals encompassed my dreams, such as “pay off student loans so I can go on the mission field” and “save so I can give generous gifts.” Though these goals seemed far off, David encouraged me to take steps in that direction.
At our meeting, David gave me a small, pink book called Plastic Donuts. He had given the book to many other clients.
In Plastic Donuts, a dad plays make-believe with his young daughter. She smiles and hands her father a plastic donut. He is delighted by his daughter's gift. Similarly, we as God's children bring delight to the Father as we give joyfully and generously back to Him.
Giving is a crucial part of our relationship with Him. It reflects God’s character within us. Although He doesn't need our gifts because everything belongs to Him, He is delighted by our freewill and sacrificial giving as it reflects our faith, gratitude and whole-hearted love for Him.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
Focusing on my relationship with my heavenly Father freed me from getting mired in comparison with others, including my generous sister. I can smile, knowing that God is receiving both of our gifts. Just as my sister and I don't have to compete for our earthly dad's approval, we don't have to compete for our heavenly Father's approval. Whether the gift is large or small by our standards, God sees that our hearts are bent toward pleasing Him. He smiles at my plastic donuts and hers.
I reached many of the goals I had made in David’s office, thanks to God's generous provision. But sometimes I feel that giving shame creep back in. When that happens, I remind myself to turn back to my Father. I ask Him, the ultimate generous giver, to help me better understand giving and to help me live for eternity rather than my own comfort.
Now, when the offering plate comes to me, I can give knowing that all I have belongs to God, and yet He still is delighted when I cheerfully give to Him.
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