Written by: Ellen Chalmers

The past several weeks, some of my neighbors have come to my house to ask me for a stick of butter. The first couple times my heart was joyful to give. Of course they could have some butter… But the third time they came over to ask, my heart started to grumble. I didn’t want to give my butter because finding time to go to the grocery store is a lot of work for a mom of four. I said to my 13 year old son, “Don’t they know how much a stick of butter costs…”. My heart was being stingy. I was full of doubt and I was being self-protective. 

That same week I ran into one of my good friends who just randomly started telling me part of her testimony. She shared how the Lord healed her of her constant fear towards money and not having enough. She said, “I just started giving money away. Anytime I felt like I was hoarding it or being protective of my stuff I just started to give it away.” She went on to tell me how the Lord started blessing her husband’s business and anytime it wasn’t doing well she just went out and started giving money away. 

As I was listening to my friend tell me about her journey of finding freedom in giving, I was immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit. The next day I apologized to my son and told him I was setting a really bad example to him with what I said. I told him I wasn’t trusting the Lord in that situation with the butter and that he will provide as we give things away. 

The very next day, after I apologized to my son for being stingy, somebody randomly comes over to my house. Guess what they brought? Eight pounds of butter! And that was the only thing they brought. Just butter. Who drops off eight pounds of butter? The Lord does.

 The Lord loves to take care of His children when we are being obedient to Him. We can’t serve two masters. It is impossible to serve money and the Lord.

I want to live in a way that daily I am surrendered to the Lord taking care of me. I don’t want to be self-reliant or self-protective. I want to give. I don’t need to store up treasures on earth. I want to live for eternal treasures. I am so thankful, not just for the butter in my freezer, but I am so much more thankful for God speaking to me, disciplining me, and teaching me as His daughter.

Like the Bible says, “It’s better to give than it is to receive”.