To me, giving is a lot like loving.

I know a story of 2 people, one was a church leader and another was a street walker. The first made a living by promoting standards. She made a living by breaking them.
His name is Simon and he’s hosting a party, but the woman, she’s crashing the party. Any normal person would pick Simon over the woman. After all he seems nicely dressed and decent. Anyone would pick him. Anyone… but Jesus knew them both. And Jesus picks the woman. And he tells Simon why.

Jesus told Simon a story. “ A man loaned money to 2 people- $500 to one and $50 to another. But neither of them could repay him. So he cancelled the debts of both. Who do you suppose loved him more after?”

Simon answered, “ I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered you home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust off my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins- and they are many- have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.”

Simon’s love is calculated and stingy. Her love, on the other hand, is extravagant and risky. Giving is a lot like loving. In other words, we can’t give what we’ve never received. We can try. And yes, how we try… we resolve ourselves to be better givers, better servers in the ministry on our own strength and our own might. We set strategies and we are simply going to give even if it kills us. We clench our teeth and beat our chests. But are we missing something?

God came to give us life and life more abundantly. He does not want our giving or even our love to be conjured up by a sheer force of will. He knows! Our Father knows that our flesh will fail us.
Want to learn how to give? Then consider how our God first gave. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things? Rom 8: 31

Would we give as God gives? Would we love as He loves? Let’s start by seeing Jesus and receiving God’s love. Let not our giving be out of fear or guilt. The secret to giving is living out God’s greatest gift, Jesus Christ. Many people will tell us to give, but only God gives us to power to do so. Only he can fill you and leave you with a heart ready to give.