Freely Given

The first chapter of Ephesians is one of my favorites, and today, I found a new gem within its verses. I love it when that happens!

Let's start here:

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)

What caught my attention today (after the influence of a conversation with a friend!) was this phrase from the last verse: "which he has freely given."

I was simply reminded of the model given to us in Jesus and in the Father's sacrifice of His only Son. The gift of His sacrifice was given to us all, but not just given...given freely. For me, this is a gentle reminder to look within my own heart at my own giving.

Whether it be giving of my time, of my talents, my resources or my energy, I believe that its God's model for us that we give with this same freedom. For a more convincing and direct comment from the Bible, see 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (NIV)

This concept used to really frustrate me. I would wonder, "Well, what if I'm simply not cheerful about giving in this way?" It would be nice, wouldn't it, if we were able and available to freely and cheerfully give anything and everything someone might want for us to give? However, I'm pretty sure that any one of us with human limitations (which is all of us!) are unable to do so 100% of the time. So then what?

Well, I think the Biblical principle them demonstrates that it's right for us to address the unwillingness we have in our giving. For me, sometimes I just need to give anyway, regardless of how I feel. After all, my feelings in any given moment aren't always the best representation of reality. However, at other times in my life, I've learned that I need to go ahead and say "no" sometimes. For me, when I know I am free to say "no" in my own life, I find myself more open with the freedom to say "yes" as well. The net result, for me, seems to be that I not only give more, but the giving I do is with a far more cheerful heart.

My personal belief is that the commands and direction of the Bible are not intended to point out all the ways in which I do life "wrong." Instead, they're basic intention is to show me a way to do life better. And, quite honestly, when I have focused energy on creating space and a way for myself to give more cheerfully, the quality of my giving improved dramatically.

Furthermore, I believe Jesus' example for us is always something we can learn from, and His demonstration of giving freely is one to learn from for me as well.

It hasn't been an easy road (or a fast one) for me to learn how to freely give. And sometimes new scenarios present new challenges. I do try, however, to give from that place of joy and willingness, rather than a place of fear of retribution or obligation. My belief and hope is that this approach honors God most - in both the short run and the long.

As always, I'm a work in progress, but feel like this area is one in which my growth has meant a lot - to me, to those to whom I give and, I hope, to the Lord above, whose approval I crave most of all!