Cheerful Givers

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-8

God loves a cheerful giver, and He has given us mothers ample opportunities to practice and get good at it! When little Susie walks into the kitchen and asks for a cup of water, we have the choice - pour her a glass (or plastic ;)) and hand it to her with a smile, or begrudgingly get up while making a fuss over having to get her something again.

We can give of our time with a cheerful heart. We can use our words to cheerfully give encouragement. We can offer smiles, something that seems so rare but that can be multiplied into great reward. We can share produce from our gardens, cut flowers from our flower beds, jars of homemade tomato sauce or salsa.

Certainly throughout history, cheerful givers have been valuable to society. And I would argue that right now, they are of much importance. The need for cheerful givers is great! As I’m sure you’ve noticed, most people are looking out only for his/her own interests. It throws people off when someone offers help, or gives something with no strings attached. What a light this can be in a dark place!

What’s more, when we have a habit of giving cheerfully, our children notice and begin to do the same things. This is surely a great gift from the Lord, to see our children walking in His ways!

We are often tempted to think, There is no way I can give; I have no means. But we must re-read the passage above. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” God has given freely to us, and He will be sure to provide us the means to give freely to others. May we get to it!

Giving Good Gifts

“‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’”
Matthew 7:9-11

***

“I’m going downstairs to work on sharpening,” my husband said as he walked by me. “This kitchen knife is dull, right?”

I nodded, and thanked him in advance for sharpening it. The boys bounded down the stairs after him.

A few minutes later, my oldest came back up and started rummaging around in the living room.

“Mom,” he said as he walked back into the kitchen with a paper. “I need some tape, I’m folding this together to make it thick so Dad can test the knife on it.”

That’s pretty unnecessary, I thought as I grabbed the tape.

“Here bud.” I handed him a piece of tape and put the roll away.

“Mom, I need more,” he said.

“You really don’t…it’ll hold together just fine, and then Daddy will tear it.”

“Yeah but Mom,” he pointed to the sides. “I need a piece here and here.”

I reluctantly pulled two more pieces off the roll and gave them to him.

“Thanks Mom!” he beamed and raced back to the basement.

I turned and went back to cooking, realizing how stingy I can be.

If your son asks for bread, will you give him a stone? God is good at giving good gifts.

I didn’t want to waste tape on a paper that would be ripped up - but, really? An extra piece of tape wasn’t going to be a problem.

My children come to me and ask for things all the time. It’s a normal part of childhood, yes? If we, being sinful people, know how to give our children good gifts - how much more God gives good gifts to us. He is our perfect Father!

But after this interaction with my son, I realized I need to take a better look at how God gives me good gifts. There are times I am not as generous with my kids as God is with me. God provides food, clothing, sunshine; He gives us rain to grow crops; He graces our days with laughter and joy; He leads us to good books and podcasts and conversations with friends. He gives us encouragement through unexpected forms, and some of the material possessions He brings us are simply to put a smile on our faces. We have so much to thank Him for, He is infinitely generous!

When our kids come and ask for something, how do we respond? Do we answer out of laziness or apathy? Do we guilt them and withhold things because they haven’t been “good enough” that day? (If there is disobedience or an icky attitude, deal with it right away so that the relationship is restored asap. Repentance and forgiveness. Done. Can you imagine if God withheld His mercy and goodness from us like we sometimes do with our kids?!)

Sometimes we don’t recognize things as being a gift. To me, it was just a piece of tape being wasted on a paper. To my son, it was a necessary adhesion so that he could make his dad proud. It might be just a book, just five minutes of your time, just a glass of water, just a trip to the store, just ______. But to our children, it is often much more.

We have the perfect role model when it comes to giving good gifts. May we humbly ask Him to make us like Himself, and then look for ways to bless our children. We can learn from the best and be good at this!