I wash my hands when they’re dirty. I turn off a light when I leave a room. I lock the door when I go to bed. I tell my family I love them. I pray for my wife. I read The Bible in the morning. These and many other things are all second nature to me. I want generosity to be second nature in my life too. However, giving back and reaching out to people still requires an unnatural motion for me. Check out this scripture.

"Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Luke 12:33-34 (NLT)

I have always been cautious not to be the “man with all the toys.” I grew up around plenty of that. I could tell you stories about taking my dad’s muscle cars out for a drive or whose new boat I got to go fishing in. As fun as it was to do those things, it’s not God’s hope for us to have a lot on this earth. In fact, we’re told to sell our possessions. So, I can sometimes justify that I don’t have anything to sell, but that isn’t true. The scripture is clear. It says to sell my possessions. So how do I reconcile the “things” and “stuff” that I do have that I haven’t given away yet and what does it look like for me to live out this scripture in my life?

Here are a few ideas about possessions:

1. Consider things of value – Many of us have things around that hold value. There might be an unused electronic, some tools, nice clothing. Maybe there’s even an extra car lying around that nobody really NEEDS to drive.
2. Sacrifice something I have – Maybe there’s not anything EXTRA, but there’s a level of trust that God wants us to walk through. What would it be like if I sold the television and everything that goes with it? Could I live without something I use every day?
3. Sacrifice something I don’t have – We all get to the point when we need to buy a new phone. Does it have to be the newest iPhone? What if I bought clothing or shoes on sale or from a discount store instead?

When we can free ourselves of the clutter of these things, it frees us to give. There’s some value in considering what this is asking us to give. Obviously, there are finances; if we have to sell something, there’s money to give them. At times, the best offering I have to give to others is my time. If I stopped watching television because I sold it, I’d have more time for people! Isn’t that an interesting thought?

Here are two practical steps on how to give:

1. Give away money – There are a lot of non-profit and even Christian organizations that serve the poor and at-risk people in our communities. Once you’re tithing, set aside an amount of money to give away to people in need. There are some great places around that serve people in need and there are needs around us all the time that we come into contact with.
2. Join an Outreach Team at The Vineyard Church – The Neighborhood Outreach Team serves children that live in the Village Green Mobile Home Community. These kids are often in need of time from caring adults. Team members sacrifice an hour and a half every other Wednesday and they see fruit like new relationships with Jesus! This is a great way to give away your time to those in need!

What is the reward the scripture tells us we get? Eternal treasure! In the end, the stuff we part ways with is nothing in comparison to the reward on the other side. Giving and serving are two areas that I’m always trying to grow in and I would encourage you to join me as I press into this more.

If you are really wanting to press into giving back, we have a Vineyard FIT: Faith in Training class about this. Discovering What the Bible Says About Love, will take a look at the Bible and discover what it means to be loved by God and how we can better love Him and the world around us.

 Lance works with missions and outreach, leading endeavors locally, around the nation as well as across the world. He also has the opportunity to work with hospitality teams around the church, creating an ideal environment for people to serve and worship.

Share