The Call To Give

Have you ever felt distant from God, like things weren't right but you didn't think you were doing anything wrong?

I know I've felt that way many times.

When you feel like this, you should take a look at your life. Usually the times when you're most distant from God are the times when you're being self-centered. God demands our all. Our all is a lot. We want to keep it to ourselves. We're scared. We're scared that we'll be hurt, rejected, laughed at. While these fears are very real, they're also very limiting. When you give your all to God, He will give His all to you. It's amazing how just giving a few dollars to someone who needs it can make you feel as if someone just gave you a million dollars! The only way to explain this is the Holy Spirit. He comes along and shows you how giving yourself to God to help others is really so much better than just living for yourself. You really have nothing when you keep everything to yourself. Giving is the opposite. The more you give, the more you have. I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but it's true. Money cannot buy you true happiness. But seeing the joy on the faces of homeless people who were given just a few scraps of hot food, or the mother who received some money and doesn't have to worry about feeding her children, or the child who hears about the love of Jesus for the first time- these are the things that bring a happiness that will last forever. These things are only acquired by giving something. While people need money, a lot of times what people really want is your time. It's hard to give it away, but if you want all of God you need to give Him all of you.

Firstly, spend time with God. Dive deep into His Word- as you grow, so will the Bible. The words will no longer be just stories you heard as a child, but letters from God to you explaining all His glory and mystery. The Bible is so much more than a lesson from Sunday School- it's like life hacks or shortcuts, showing you how to avoid most of the pain in the world. Spend time in prayer- talking with God. Listen to what He wants to tell you. Any relationship requires communication. The first relationship between God and Man set the path for every relationship through communication and spending time with each other. God still desires to communicate and spend time with us today. Spend time worshiping God. A common misconception among people today is equating worship with music. Music is a form of worship, but it is not the only way to worship. Worship is how you treat God. Worship should be the way you live. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Worshiping God deepens your relationship with Him and renews your spirit. It connects you with God in a way that nothing else can.

Secondly, spend time with people. Get to know the people you're surrounded by daily. How much do you know about your coworkers, the people you sit by in church, your neighbors, or even your family? As you spend more time with God and grow to love Him more, your love for people will grow also. You will value the time you have with them because you will view them as God views them and you will see them as God's children. Open yourself up to the people closest to you and you will be greatly rewarded. Yes, pain and hurt may come when you get to know people better, but in the end it will be worth it all. If your friendships are all rainbows and butterflies and rabbits and sunshine with no hurt, your "friends" probably won't stick around very long. People hate pain, but the truth is if you spend time with them, working through the pain, they will respect you and they will respect your relationship. People just want to know that people care for them. They don't want a hand out, or your pity, or a "I feel bad that I have all this money and you don't" kind of attitude. They want you to take the time to get know them, to hear their story. Listen. Don't give advice. Listen. They want your heart, not your words. Spending time with others shows them that you care more about their needs than about yourself. No one likes self-centered people, but everybody loves the one who is willing to be there for them no matter what the cost.

One of the surest signs of a healthy, growing relationship with God is healthy, growing relationships with the people around you. The best way to learn how to have better relationships with people is to start with God. He will show you what a true friendship is; how giving everything to Him is really better than keeping everything for you.