Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.

When we think about serving or giving, we wrestle with a lot of questions like. “What do I have to give? Will I make a difference? What will I get in return?” In Paul’s encouragement about cheerful giving, he addresses this struggle in our hearts. Even though our inclination is toward keeping things for ourselves, we see a great return on what we had in the first place when we give generously. When we hold on to our possessions and finances because of fear or a scarcity mindset, we miss what God can do with the things we surrender to Him and for His purposes.

Generosity invites God into our stewardship because it becomes less about what we have and more about what He can do with what we give. With God, we will always experience a greater harvest than anything we could have achieved on our own. What are you hesitant to give today? Where do you feel too busy to give anything at all? What you have to give may feel small in the grand scheme of things, or it may feel overwhelming to even give a little bit. Regardless of your situation, you can come to the same conclusion: You can trust God with your possessions and finance and give generously. He is the One who gives us all we have, and He is the One who can use our generosity to bless us and those around us.

• What is the hardest thing for you to give—time, money, possessions?
• Have you ever reaped generously after giving generously? What do you think that would be like if you haven’t experienced it?

Pray and surrender to God the things that you have been hesitant to give.