Today’s word is GIVE.
There are many things you can do to “process” this word today:
Think on it.
Look it up in Scripture if you choose. An easy way to look up biblical texts on the topic is to go to biblegateway.com and do a search on the word.
Discuss it with others.
Google it.
I’m sure you can think of others. Whatever you choose to do to process this word today, please check back in at the end of the day and let’s have a discussion about your thoughts, experiences, etc.
To see the introduction and table of contents for The One Word Devotional Series, click here. Remember, for this series, the actual devotional thoughts are found in the comments.
Pull Up a Chair 
Monetary giving is usually what I think about when I hear this word.
I am doing a study of Joseph with our MOPS group called ‘Restless’ by Jennie Allen. We are currently looking at gifts and talents. It occurred to me that it’s easy for our society to look at those who are better off and insist that they give — whether in the form of charitable giving or taxes. And yet we are all given gifts and talents for multiple areas, and we don’t seem to expect those who are differently gifted to ‘give’ in the same proportion as those who are monetarily gifted!
What would the world look like if each of us just tithed our time as well as our income? If we would give to others as it has been given to us? To pay forward services…without expectation of return?
I know that life gets really busy and we barely seem to have time to take care of ourselves, much less others. The more advanced our technology gets, the less time we seem to have for other people.
I’m feeling challenged to give an hour and a half of my day (10% of my waking hours….) to something outside of myself and my family. Don’t know how to do this yet (my excuse is that I’m busy taking care of orphans and widows in our own family!), but I’m sensing God wants me to give in many areas of my life.
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Thanks, Susan. We are going through the process of discovering spiritual gifts with out congregation at The Merge. I’m praying the outlook you’ve shared takes hold. I like your idea of tithing time.
I’m also thinking about how giving (both of our gifts and monetary) to others is also giving to God himself.
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This passage indicates a giving of both service and material things.
Hebrews 13:16 – And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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Too much give and it breaks. Too little give and it breaks. There is a balance between rigidness and spinelessness.
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As a died-in-the-wool Caretaker from Day 1, learning when to give and when not to give has been difficult. I relate to Abi’s comment and also to Susan’s. Maybe if I’m giving in the sense of passing forward what I’ve been given helps–if I also withhold giving what I don’t have (sometimes time, for example). It’s difficult to be clear sometimes about what I can and cannot accomplish in one day–much less in a lifetime.
Another complication: I grew up in a strange kind of poverty–very little income, limited food and money, but more than adequate housing provided by the mission organization my parents served with until I was 15. So I’m a penny-pincher and a bit of a food hoarder. Simple things like sharing food I’ve prepared for myself are often an internal challenge. Fear of hunger? Running out? I don’t think so. Not now anyway.
Back to what I can do in one day–especially as a recovering caretaker. I end up having to deal with my motivations and priorities–yucky in any scenario. Sometimes that means saying No, even though saying Yes–I’ll give! I’ll volunteer! Etc.–would give me a sense of having done “the right thing,” even though it isn’t necessarily the right thing for me at that moment. I admire friends who know how to name and maintain clear boundaries–while also being more than generous with what they can do in a 24-hour day.
One more thing–I find it very difficult to receive! In fact, I often resist it. Pride? Self-sufficiency? Whatever it is, it’s strong in me. So giving and receiving seem linked–even Jesus couldn’t make it by himself, but asked for followers and entrusted things to them he couldn’t possibly have done all by himself.
Elouise
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Elouise, thank you for being transparent. I’m glad that you and the others involved in this devotional series have felt free to do so here. I had already planned to blog in the future on several of the topics which have come up naturally in these discussions – boundaries, what I call “templates for a guilt-free yes and no” and other related subjects. Though this session of the series will be over in a few days, I look forward to more dialogue with you and the others.
“Life is messy. Why pretend it’s not?” – This has become a sort of tag-line for me since I’ve entered the world of blogging and Twitter. What I’m struck by in the discussions throughout this series is that even when we’re sharing about the “messiness” of it all, we’ve been consistently pulled back to Jesus as a stabilizing factor for each of our various struggles. In the midst of life’s complications, His message and modeling provide us with what I can only think to call right now a profound simplicity.
I’m glad you continue to draw on that, and share with others how you are doing so, during your continued “recovery.”
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Thanks, Lisa. I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed these one-word conversations. And yes, I find myself continually beginning with or referring back to Jesus as the only human who did for us what we cannot do, and did not do what we so easily do! Not as an example–that’s impossible to meet–but as a voluntary act of walking with us in a life of profound acceptance and sacrifice.
Thanks for the opportunity!
Elouise
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Eloise, I agree — these devotions have been very effective and interesting! Your comment made me think of the song ‘Just Say Jesus’. Sometimes one word is all we need,.
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Yes! Thanks, Susan.
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when i hear the word “give,” my mind moves towards service. there are so many great ways we can give or serve. my mom was a “doer” and so giving comes rather natural to me … things like empathy do not 😦
i think it’s the little things that can make a big difference. sometimes I’ll notice my neighbor’s trash can is still out at the street in the evening, and so I just go retrieve it for them. also, when I think of giving, I consider how I can give preference to someone else. well, those are some random thoughts i have
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Thanks, Scott. It is good to remember that we don’t have to be overwhelmed by the idea of giving. Simple, small gestures of service mean a great deal.
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