Lynn Fraser was on her way to church, driving down the highway. It was a familiar road and was rather cold out, when she noticed someone lying underneath an overpass. She passed by, wondering whether the man was hurt or sick. Suddenly she felt the Lord prompting her to stop. So she pulled a u-turn across the highway and picked up the gentleman.
He was headed to Montreal, so Lynn drove him as far as was convenient. Feeling the chill in the air, Lynn remembered she had a sleeping bag in the back of the car and offered it to him. He gratefully accepted and Lynn carried on her way.
Is this sacrificial giving?
Lynn would say no, because nestled in her sleeping bag was her favourite pillow. Despite the prompting of the Holy Spirit, she reasoned herself out of giving him the pillow.
It would just be another thing for him to carry.
Sacrificial giving really means something. It is giving what we don’t want to give up, no matter how big or small. By most standards, Lynn had already risked her comfort and safety to help this man. What did one pillow really matter?
Except that one pillow is the point.
Sometimes the Lord asked us to give things up, not for other people but for ourselves.
That is sacrificial giving. Giving when it hurts.
We are so used to the status quo giving in the Christian community. Tithe your ten percent, but do we contemplate what it means to give when it hurts?
Are we willing to risk our time, money and resources to give of ourselves whenever the Lord asks us. Not because it is easy or convenient or fits within the ‘ten percent’ box, but simply because he asks it of us?
Remember, all your resources, whether financial or not, belong to the Lord. How would he want you to spend your time, money and energy?