After admiring a painting in a woman's home, I was surprised by her generosity when she took it down and gave it to me.

I've seen many similar acts of kindness. For years, my mother-in-law hung on to her archaic-looking refrigerator so she could give more money to the Lord's work.

A Christian family I know had saved money to buy a new car. But when they heard of a desperate need on a mission field, they kept their old car and gave to missions instead.

I've also heard of a Christian businessman in Ohio who puts something in his pocket every morning to give away—a pen, a trinket, even a ten-dollar bill. As the day unfolds, he looks for someone who would be blessed by receiving a gift. "By constantly looking for an opportunity to give," he says, "I have a wonderful day."

The old saying "Takers eat well, but givers sleep well" is only partially true. According to Proverbs 11:25, givers also eat well: "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself."

We must not give grudgingly or merely out of a sense of duty but from the heart. It's the generous, cheerful giver whom God loves (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  — Joanie Yoder