It’s that time of the year again… the cold air moves in, the leaves start to diminish, and all things Christmas dominate our lives. If we can fight all the noise and clutter, the shopping, the extra parties and the pressure to perform, we remember the subtle beauty of Christmas — a life-changing gift to humanity. God gifted the world a divine Son who would teach us what it means to live the best possible life.
Giving is a way that our lives reflect God’s character. God gave his only Son, who then gave his life, so that we can be restored and find our way back to God. Likewise, God asks people to give their lives in such a way that mimics God’s own generosity.
This time of year, organizations are asking you to help them fulfill a like-minded mission. Churches, educational institutions and nonprofits are all asking you to support their meaningful work.
Generosity ties our hearts with God’s giving nature, which leads us to a fulfilled life. How should that look? In ten years of leading Help One Now, I’ve partnered with thousands of people like you to do good. Here are three things I’ve observed:
1) We Give Because We Care
The word care can feel mundane and overused. We care about a lot of things. Our family, our jobs, our image, our yards, our sports teams, etc. Caring is essential, but often we spend too much time caring about the wrong things and we wonder why we our lives feel unfulfilled even though we may have accomplished so much!
That said, we give because we care about certain missions that matter to us: local churches who help guide our spiritual lives, or nonprofits who are trying to solve key problems that matter to us. When we give money to support the cause, we are in essence proving that we care and by our generosity, we are ensuring the mission can move forward and these problems can be solved.
When you give because you care, your giving brings much joy and meaning to your life. Giving will transform your heart as it resonates with God’s image.
2) We Give Because We Can
The word privilege can be explosive! But let’s use this word in the context of giving, where we can see how it associates that act with honor or pleasure.
I have a job that helps me to provide for my family, live a good life and give back to others. I give because I’m blessed. Yes, I work hard and earn my income, but many of my friends around the world work hard, twelve hour days. The salary they receive allows them to go to the market and only buy some rice and beans so their kids will have one meal that day.
I give because I can. This is not a right — it’s a privilege that many people don’t have. I have it and I want to help those who don’t have it. My goal in life is to never build my personal power, to use the funds that I have to constantly serve my own needs, desires or even my lusts. That is not the kind of legacy I want to leave. Instead, I want to leverage my resources to be able to help empower other people have the same privilege and opportunity I have.
3) We Give Because We See the Needs
For those of us who live in a world of opportunity, one of the greatest gifts we can give is to create opportunity for others. We leverage what we have not just for our personal gain but to help our local and global neighbors. But giving isn’t just about meeting the needs of others, but about forming relationships that meet needs both ways.
Many of us are searching for the magic pill that will help us find happiness. True happiness is when you realize that you need others and others need you – we are individuals, but we are interconnected and in need of each other’s love, forgiveness and support.
Let’s Make a Mark of Impact in 2018
Life is short, it seems to be flying by and another year is about to end. We all get a final shot to leave our mark for this year. We get one more shot to give to a mission that matters to us.
This effort will also help us move closer to living a good life and mimicking God’s character and personality. Give and give big, whatever big is for you. Give with joy because when you give, you will not only help someone else, but you will also see your own lives transformed!