God doesn’t want our generosity to be restricted by fear. Either we’ll trust Him and experience the joy of participating in His purposes on earth, or trust our own ability and live with anxiety. The danger of not moving to a higher level of giving is that we can miss out on something great that God wants to do for us – and through us. At some point, He will challenge you to give more than you’ve ever given before, whether that’s giving your money, your time, or your skills. And at that moment your faith will cause you to say yes, or your fear will cause you to dismiss it as impractical. That’s a pivotal point in your life, because your response to God’s challenge will determine your future. Some levels of giving are effortless, while others make us uneasy. Sooner or later we all hit a wall called fear, and unless we recognise it we’ll never be able to break through it. As a result, we’ll live with less than God intends us to enjoy. What’s the solution? Change your concept of ownership. Adolphe Monod said, ‘There’s no portion of money that is our money and the rest God’s…It’s all His; He made it all, gives it all, and has entrusted it to us for His service.’ And the same idea can be applied to any type of giving, not only money. If you believe that everything belongs to God, there’s no reason not to give. And that can be scary. Jesus’ model for generosity was a widow who gave her last penny, without having anything to fall back on except God’s promise to meet her needs. When we reach that point, we’re on the threshold of the miraculous.
