Always Ready: Be Prepared for God’s CallingSample

Ready to Give

Reflect / Discuss

• Have you ever given out of guilt or begrudgingly? Why was that?
• How do you give with joy?

Consider

Giving is often an afterthought for many of us. After we have calculated our living expenses, our personal spending, and how much we want to save, we think about how much we want to give. It comes out of our leftovers. It is often spur of the moment only when we are asked to give, so we give what we can spare and what we feel like giving.

But this passage frames giving as something that is highly intentional. It’s an offering that is already decided and prepared ahead of time. God does not need our gift, but it is a means to develop generosity as the core of who we are. To be a cheerful giver, prepare your heart to be generous and give God your first and best, not the scraps.

Act

• If you don’t already give to your local church, consider an amount to set aside to give regularly.
• Think of someone you know who is in need, and set aside an amount to give to them.
• Find a nonprofit that does work you care about and make a generous donation.