Why You Have a Hard Time Sharing Your Wealth And How To Overcome It!

If you were really honest with yourself right now, wouldn’t you admit that oftentimes it’s hard to share!? 

C’mon, it’s not easy to give things to others without strings attached or to let people borrow items without being worried about getting it back in one piece or getting it back period.

You know why I know it’s hard for you to share?  Because I look at my two and a half year old daughter and see how she has such a hard time letting her little brother play with anything she has (or even touch things she’s not even playing with at the time).

It’s All Mine!

In our hearts, we all still have that two year old mentality that everything is all “MINE!”

We’re all born selfish to the core and it doesn’t go away the older we get.  We just get better at masking our selfishness!

I write these words for myself as much as anyone, because I know I am desperately selfish – but I don’t want to be. 

I want to live with open hands and loose grips on everything – I want to lay down my life for others and not care, but it’s hard.  How about you?

With the holiday season in mind, this weekend I want to share a verse from 1 Timothy 6 that talks about our readiness to share with others.  I hope it’s as challening to you as it is to me.

1 Timothy 6:17-19:

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Notice what the Apostle Paul says to Timothy about the rich – they are to do good, be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share!

But I’m not rich!

Now, whether you feel rich or not is besides the point.  If you live in America – you are rich!  Compare yourself to the rest of the world and not your neighbor and you’ll begin to understand how much you really have.

The point here is to be ready to share and be generous.  We are not naturally inclined to share with others so it takes work to get ourselves ready.

How to ready yourself to share

• Remember that God shared His Son with us and Jesus shared His life for us!
• Repent of your selfishness
• Ask God to help you overcome your selfishness
• Make giving a priority in your financial plans
• Keep giving top of mind so you’re always thinking about it
• Pray for and seek opportunities to give in the community
• Become more attuned to others needs by listening more
• Pay down your debts so you free up money to give
• Cut out some of the busyness of your life so you can give of your time
• Work hard so you can be ready to share with those in need (Eph.4:28)
• Be content with what you have!
• Remember that sharing pleases God (Heb. 13:16)
• Stop killing your generosity!

What about you?  What are some ways you’ve readied yourself to share or what other things would you add to this list?

Google+ Comments

Tagged as: Generosity, Giving, Jesus, Sharing