Why Obey?

In the past year, I have gained so much more insight into why, when God asks something of us, we should do it & how we can also have complete joy in doing it.

The why we should obey & the how we can have joy in it are both rooted in the same answer—TRUST.

To be more specific: Trust in who God is & of what He is capable.

Sometimes It Feels Good to Give, BUT…

If you’re familiar with the verse in Acts 20:35, “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” you might have thought of times where it did in fact feel good to give.

Maybe you fed someone dinner who was low on money. Maybe you gave of your time in helping someone who was struggling. Maybe you gave money to a worthy cause.

Thinking over these times of giving, where it felt good to give, we can easily relate to this idea of being more blessed in giving than receiving.

But It Doesn’t Always Feel Good…

But, what about times when we don’t see the immediate pleasant result of giving or when we are giving beyond what we feel comfortable?

What if we don’t get that happy feeling after we give?

Can it then still be considered more blessed to give than to receive when the act itself doesn’t make us feel good?

Yes.

“I Want to be a “Good Christian/Person.””

But wait a minute, let us check one more thing in the pool of what we may consider as blessings in giving.

We can often find ourselves trying to be a “good person”… “Proving” our faithfulness to God… Striving to earn the gift of salvation… Making right a wrong….

Sometimes, even subconsciously, we can find ourselves giving as a way to “pay penance,” thinking, ‘Well, I want to make God happy, so I should give.”

God Doesn’t Expect Us to Owe Him a Favor

God already offers Himself to us! His grace, His resources, His LOVE.

He can’t love us any more than He already does. God’s love doesn’t have conditions or limits. His grace is free. His resources are ours.

So, what are we missing?

The Missing Piece

If we are expected to obey, but not so we can “prove ourselves to God…”

And if we are meant to experience joy & blessing in giving, even when it doesn’t feel good…

Then, how?

… Because the blessing is not in how it makes us feel when we give & do good things. It is not based in what we stand to gain at all.

God Can Do Immeasurably More Than We Could Ever Ask Or Imagine…

Read that heading again.

God’s Word, in Ephesians 3:20-21, tells us, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church & in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever & ever! Amen.” (Emphasis mine)

(In fact, if you want a big boost of encouragement & reassurance today, go read the whole of Ephesians 3!)

Blessedness in Giving Because of TRUST

Blessedness in giving is not based on whether or not we feel good or look good doing the giving.

It is not even based on earning God’s favor or in being a “good” Christian/person.

Instead, the blessedness in giving is based on where our trust rests, or rather, on Whom it rests.

In God We Trust

The blessedness of giving comes from trusting God to handle things so much better than we ever could with what we give….

It is trusting Him so much that we don’t worry about having less or feeling/looking good…

But instead we can rejoice in giving, knowing that once we release our finances & time to His control, He can do FAR GREATER things with them than we ever could!

Where Does Our Hope Come From?

We can either cling to our time & our money & our way of life… & deal with them through our limited understanding, giving only to feel good about ourselves or to make others feel good or to “earn” favor with God….

BUT, true joy in giving comes when we relinquish control, knowing that our Heavenly Father has got us in His able, loving hands. Knowing that we can trust Him no matter what life looks like.

We can feel joy & security & blessings, resting in His greater plan versus our short-sighted one (because anything short of eternity is, quite frankly, short-sighted… but God sees how it ALL fits together.)

He is loving & He will provide us with peace & joy, no matter what life looks like at the moment, as we lean into Him.

True & Lasting Joy & Blessings Don’t Come from Money–They Come from Trusting in God

I am not writing this post to make you feel bad about the good feeling you get when you give.

I am not trying to shame you into giving more.

I am not even saying it is bad to try to please God in life (unless you’re doing it to try to earn His love or grace–because He gives them freely).

I AM offering you a glimpse into the great possibility of transcending peace that goes beyond life circumstances.

I AM offering you a chance to stop right now & ask God to help you trust Him enough to let go & trust Him more.

I AM sharing this so that you may have joy in giving, not based on feelings, but based on complete & utter trust in who God is & how much more good He can accomplish with what we offer to Him than we could ever hope to do on our own.

We have blessedness in giving because of who our Master is & all that He is capable of & with all of the love & care He has for all of us.

He is a good, good Father.

Shine Hope, Lovely, by leaning into your Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, Loving, Capable, Grace-Gifting God.

Coming Next Week

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A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Warrior Cuff

This brass gold, hammered, stacked cuff opens in the back & will be your go-to piece.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also pictured: Fearless Earrings from Nepal!*)

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!