Life Hack #9 - A Miser's Heart

Life Hack #9:

We have seen all kinds of "givers" in this world - some give with a genuine heart; others give with strings attached; still others put on the show of giving, but their heart is definitely not in it. Scripture tells us God loves a cheerful giver - one who has learned to give without strings attached and from a genuine desire to meet the needs of another or to share the blessings of one's own life so another may be blessed. God focuses a great deal on a "genuineness" or "truthfulness" of heart, mind, and soul. Maybe this is because the degree of truthfulness we have in our daily dealings with others is comparable to how well we are being truthful in our relationship with Jesus!

Don’t accept a meal from a tightwad; don’t expect anything special. He’ll be as stingy with you as he is with himself; he’ll say, “Eat! Drink!” but won’t mean a word of it. His miserly serving will turn your stomach when you realize the meal’s a sham. (Proverbs 23:6-8)

We might think of the miserly as "inwardly calculating" individuals. They are always doing the calculation of the costs of all they do and "give". The miser doesn't really "give" - he extends something, but it is not with a genuine desire to either meet your need, nor to bless you from the abundance of his own blessed state. All the world wants to feel love - genuine compassion from another individual, a sense of being valued, and an assurance of acceptance. The miserly individual is incapable of really extending this kind of genuine heart action toward another. Generous individuals are liberal in their giving. There is a freedom in their spirit which allows them to "part with" their time, talent, and treasures without hesitation. 

This is in direct opposition to the spirit of the miserly or stingy. The generous give what is of value to another, while the miserly will consider the value of what he is giving and have a sense of regret in parting with it. When God says he loves a cheerful giver, he is indicating this attitude of heart which enjoys giving something of value to another - whether it is time, talent, or treasure. The generous give of their time - not counting the time as "theirs", but as a means by which they bless the life of another. Their willingness to give of their talents (those things which some might call their "abilities") is without measure - holding nothing back when another has a need. This is the attitude of heart God expects of his children.

The difference between the two really comes down to how closely we hold onto the things, abilities, and time God gives to us. The miserly see all they have as something they have achieved which they see as a means to benefit themselves. The generous see all they have been given as something they can freely use to benefit another. The "liberality" of the giver is reflected in one's ability to truthfully be "openhanded" in their giving. They have the ability to give with an abundance, but they consistently expect it to come back to them. The generous give without expecting it to come back to them. God always blesses them - even though they never gave to be blessed! 

If we find ourselves giving in order to get, we are not truthfully genuine in our giving - we are doing it with strings attached. The joy of God's heart is to give - it is the story of salvation - he gave what no one deserved because he loved us that much. The "story" behind our giving is something which might just reveal either a generous or a miserly heart. When we stop to examine how we "give", we might just be surprised by how frequently we expect something in return. Learning to give with "openhanded" joy is truly something learned as we embrace the spirit of the giver of all good things - God himself. Just sayin!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

There are some days when a certain online shopping place gets my money and then there are others when I only browse the sales. I oftentimes find good bargains and cannot resist getting something that will help me around the house, or just to give as a little gift to someone I love. We all have our favorite 'hangouts' for shopping, don't we? Some of us like to browse the mall store fronts, while others of us have adapted quite well to shopping online during this pandemic. One thing always remains the same - it is more blessed to give than to receive. We all like to receive, don't we? How about giving? Are we as excited about giving? God is quite extravagant in what he gives our way - how extravagant are we with giving out of that same generous spirit?

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes. (Romans 11:33-36 MSG)

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God? If we really begin to consider this, we all probably would find we have so much in the way of "riches" right in our own possession and we either don't see them, or we have been taking them for granted all this time. The immediate blessings of God that come to mind might be made clearer in this one blessing: the incredibly unfathomable acceptance of each of us into the family of God. I am not from any line of royalty in a natural sense, but I have been adopted into a family of incredible royalty - my bloodline in Christ is 'royal' and so is yours! Now, there's a blessing to consider!

What about the blessings of our ability to do simple tasks which we take for granted so very often - almost daily glossing over even the simplest of tasks because we don't see them for the blessing they really are? Things like brushing our own teeth, combing our hair in some style we like, and buttoning our own clothing. As a nurse, I have seen thousands over the years lose these abilities - through the effects of crippling arthritis, spinal cord injuries, or neurological assaults on the brain. We just don't know what a blessing it is to be able to complete these simple tasks until we find ourselves unable to do them any longer!

Scripture tells us we'll never figure out God. Well, I am no rocket scientist, but I'd agree with that truth whole-heartedly on this point! Try as I might, God's wisdom, grace, and unconditional love are totally unfathomable to me! Everything comes from him - deserved or not. Everything happens through him - even when we don't see his control. Everything ends in him - because it all began in him. Everything!
All we "possess". All those things that seemingly just "happens" in our day. All are a result of him being the Lord of our lives. Nothing is by our own creation. Nothing is by our own efforts - he gives us the breath and strength to undertake the task at hand.

When we stop to consider God, we think of one word: Everything. When we stop to consider what we are without God, we think of one word: Nothing. So, if I want "everything" - I am really saying I want more of God! Now, it may not be unlimited spending at my favorite online shopping hangout, but it is much more fulfilling than a new pair of jeans or a sparkling new smartwatch! Before we start wishing for more of what we "think" we need, maybe we should start asking for more of what we "really" need! God is never more honored than when we bring our need to him. It is in the acknowledging of our dependence upon him that he is brought honor.

Apart from God, we really possess nothing of significant value. In God, we are blessed with and through everything! It is not just what we possess, but what possesses us - this is what God wants us to understand. God's greatest glory is not found in us figuring him out - - it is in us honoring him with our obedience and love even when we find it impossible to figure him out! Our "unlimited spending" is really most rewarding when it is accomplished in the courts of our loving God. Just sayin!