With the onset of the holiday season, many are getting in the giving mood. For years I’ve yet to figure out why people are giving from November until January and not the rest of the year. Somehow it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. This past weekend, I blogged about tithing, giving and helping, but this evening’s blog is more related to the holidays and giving.
Every imaginable organization, foundation and need comes to the public eye in November. We have kids in need, we have the poor, the hungry, the widowed. We have those who simply can’t make ends meet, we have Veterans who need assistance and the list goes on and on. While I think we all should help the charities we feel moved to help during the holidays, I also believe we need to make giving a part of our daily lives. It’s something that should be done each and every day, not just from November thru January. There are sick kids, poor, hungry, injured people every day of the year…why not help through out the year as well. Everyone can easily donate and give during the holidays since it’s expected but can you give when you don’t have it in your face reminding you? I hope so.
When you give to others, when you help others not only are you helping improving their lives, you’re changing yours as well. One can’t give and not feel happy about it, you know that warm fuzzy emotion that rises from within and comes out either in the form of a smile, a jump for joy, pure happiness and satisfaction. Consider all the benefits you’ll receive if you make an effort to give & help someone in need.
A few of my personal favorites and where I give are:
Compassion International where I’ve sponsored 2 girls – one from Columbia, one from Thailand. You can read more about more the experience here. This is an ongoing, life changing way of helping a child in need.
A new effort was Feeding America which I learned about on twitter compliments of Mommy Gossip. I was glad to be a part of this drive.
I also like to help various people at Kiva. It’s a way to help people in business or getting into their own business by lending them money which they repay over time.
You can also find an A to Z Charity Listing here that lists countless charities you can help with.
If you don’t want to help with the big charities, you can also visit EveryDayActOfKindness.com where we have various organizations, individual people who are in need of your help.
Give:
verb, gave, giv⋅en, giv⋅ing, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow
The Bible talks about giving through out the scriptures.
Take Mark 10:21:“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
How many of us would be willing to do that? To just get rid of everything, giving it to the poor? Could you do that and trust that you have treasures in heaven?
A bit more feasible for the average person would be 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Now we’re getting a bit closer to what more would be able to willingly do. However, even then many fall short. The more they get the more they decide to keep it all and not share, not give. Ultimately their ‘riches’ will dissipate and they’ll be one of the poor who they should have helped.
Another, Proverbs 19:17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
Now, same thing as all the others…you help, you give and you’ll get your rewards. Easy enough but yet so many feel they’re not in a position to give or perhaps just don’t feel the need. If only they knew.
And, lest we not forget Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
That scripture is used time and time again in churches especially when taking up an offering or tithe.
However, it proves a valid point…if you give a little, you’ll get a little…if you give a lot, you’ll get a lot. Works for me, what about you?