Learn to distinguish giving from the heart and being motivated by guilt.
I am a church girl.
And after so many years, I have realised there are two kinds of offerings.
You are either cheerful when you give or depressed and guilty.
This may have a little to do with the sermon that is given before the offering basket is brought out.
But mostly, I believe, it has to do with the condition of your heart.
I can create a similar scenario with charity organisations.
Some of them encourage you to give because you care.
Give because you understand that they need the funds.
But others will attempt to manipulate or guilt trip you out of your money!
Again, this does not matter as much, when your heart is in the right place.
My stance is, giving is a personal choice.
It is ALL about you, the giver.
It is your responsibility to create a conducive environment for your gifts.
Why are you giving?
Because motives matter.
A lot of people think that it doesn’t matter why they give, as long as they do.
What I love most about giving from the heart is that its reward is that someone else will receive it.
When you give from the heart you rarely demand reciprocity.
You don’t ask ‘what do I get in return?’
But you release your resources with the faith that it will make a difference in another person’s life.
And that satisfies you.
Think about when you buy someone you really love something they want.
Food for your child.
You find joy in watching them eat and enjoy.
But when you give out of guilt our coercion, you are seldom satisfied with how people react to your gift.
Even when they thank you, you may feel that they haven’t thanked you enough.
You will find a bone of contention to appease your bleeding heart.
And the thing about guilt is that it often subsides after the act.
Then you are filled with regret because you never really wanted to give that money away.
After which you may be tempted to blame the other person for convincing that you needed to give.
Next to follow is complaining!
My stance is, if there is any hesitation in your heart about releasing any gift, you are better off not giving.
Always take some time to discuss with yourself how much you are willing to give before you do!
But more than anything, consider how your resources can make a big difference in the life of someone who has much less.
Desire to be part of the solution to someone else’s problem.
And by the way, time is included in that resource list.
It is intangible and irreplaceable.
So spend it wisely.
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