We all like to think of ourselves as charitable beings. The truth is that charity really does begin at home. Christian charity tends to have a variety of different meanings. Some people believe it is simply showing love to the poor, while others feel that Christians are called to show the love of Christ through their daily lives.

People are in need of help on a daily basis. It may be as simple as opening a door for someone. You can pay for the coffee behind you when you are at Starbucks. It’s the small things that make a big difference.

Real giving comes from a heart full of gratitude. Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given with a grudge or for display loses most of its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is invaluable. The amount or size of the gift doesn’t matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she recklessly gave away all she had! Jesus praised someone who gave barely a penny – how insignificant a sum – because it was everything she had, her whole living. What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord’s disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning.

Do you know the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor with gratitude and love?