Give It All You’ve Got

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled, Give It All You've Got, was written by John Blaise. Scaling. It's a term used in the world of fitness that allows room for anyone to participate. If the specific exercise is a push-up, for example, then maybe you can do 10 in a row, but I can only do 4. The instructor's encouragement to me would be to scale back the push-ups according to my fitness level at the time. We're not all at the same level, but we can all move in the same direction. In other words, she would say, do your 4 push-ups with all the strength you have. Don't compare yourself with anyone else.

Scale the movement for now, keep doing what you can do, and you may be amazed in time you're doing 7, and even one day, 10. When it comes to giving, the Apostle Paul was clear in 2 Corinthians 9. God loves a cheerful giver, but his encouragement to the believers in Corinth, and to us, is a variation of scaling. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart, he says in verse 7. We each find ourselves at different giving levels, and sometimes those levels change over time.

Comparison is not beneficial, but attitude is. Based on where you are, give generously. Our God has promised that the disciplined practice of such cheerful giving brings enrichment in every way with a blessed life that results in thanksgiving to God.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Corinthians 9, verses 6 through 11. Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor.

Their righteousness endures forever. 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 enriched in every way, so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Let s pray. Dear Lord, help us to be cheerful givers, to give it our best effort in whatever we do. We cannot out-give your generosity, Lord, but with you living inside us, we can bring your generous heart and ways to our friends and family and world today. Give us yourself, Lord, so that we can give out like Jesus today. Thank you, Father, and it s in Jesus name that we pray. Amen.