Give it away; there will be more.

I looked over my teaching notes, scratched up with jots and scribbles in the margins, sentences underlined and highlighted, paragraphs crossed out and stars polka-dotting the page. I had just finished a retreat and was lying in bed, basking in God’s goodness and thoroughly exhausted. The best kind of exhausted: spent. I looked over my notes and recognized God-fingerprints. These just-used Holy Spirit-breathed notes are precious to me. He always has His last minute tweaks, additions, subtractions. What I love about speaking is shifting into Holy Spirit mode and letting Him take over. He always does much better than I ever could. 🙂

But looking over these notes I thought to myself how I could share these even further by adapting them into blog-posts. Then more women could read and, Lord willing, be encouraged in their faith. Then I hesitated. Maybe I shouldn’t give everything away. Then I wouldn’t have anything to teach at the next retreat. If I just share all that I have then I won’t have anything left! Yes, I reasoned, I should hold onto some of these nuggets that way I have them for down the road.

*Ahem*

I stop, startled. Did the Holy Spirit just clear His throat at me?

I wait, listen:

Give it away; there will be more.

Of course. How do miserly ways seep into every aspect of my life? Of course, give it away.

Whenever we hesitate to give financially it’s usually because we’re afraid we won’t have enough for later. I’ve been facing that battle lately with regards to saving for a house. Lord, if we give all this away, then we won’t be able to save for a house. He smiles.

Give it way; there will be more.

Of course. It’s all from Him, and if He wants me to give it all away couldn’t He provide more to supply my every need?

And here I am, miserly once again, looking at these notes that He has given. And the temptation is there to take these words that He has given and tuck them away in my spiritual savings account because I just might need them later. It’s not an issue of timing—surely there are times when God calls us to save money for later and calls us to wait on sharing a word—this was an issue of holding onto that which God had freely given.

Give it away; there will be more.

And He speaks this over our lives. He whispers it in the details. He slides a note under our door to remind us each day:

Give it away; there will be more.

I had read it the day before, how had I already forgotten?

“Give and it will be given to you …”

Do we believe that? Do we believe that if we share all that we have that there will be more when we need?

Not just enough, more than enough. The verse continues,

“… Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Giving is simply making room for more.

When we give it away—whatever it is—we free up space on our lap to receive.

So when you give it away—watch out!—there’s more on the way.

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{What can you “give away” today knowing there will be more on the way? Stay tuned for some of the nuggets from our retreat called Changed. Thanks for reading.}