Giving Cheerfully

2 nights ago I read about giving cheerfully to God while doing my quiet time. It served a great reminder to me. All my life I knew very well that I had to give 10 percent of what I've been given back to God. But the reality is that its only recently that I've made that my priority. Rather sad, huh?

All throughout my life even right up to now, I have always relied and will continue to rely on God's providence upon me. When I left for uni, dad had financial difficulties and I still went ahead believing that God will provide. Sure, there were hard times but I had the best times in uni. God provided me with a scholarship for tuition fees and I worked for living expenses. And God delivered on His promises, He provided.

Graduated, and well, tithing was never really a priority to me. There were always other stuff that came before tithing and I never really put in 10 percent for God. Still God provided and I continued shopping and buying. I left for Sydney to do my masters with a budget that was far below what the reality was. Still God never forgot me. He provided me with a great life still. I had a blast working in Woolies and babysitting a special needs kid. Made me a lot more thankful for my life.

I can write lots of how God has provided for me but it disgusts myself to realise that I've been a selfish person not to put God first since He has done so much for me. So.......I've been giving God what He deserves now at the beginning of each month. There is no excuse anymore. At the beginning of the month, I take a percentage and promptly put it into the offering bag or to an organization that does God's work. And guess what, I've been so blessed by God in many ways. I really never expect that He would return me what I've given to Him in many folds. Now, I understand that God never really needs the money because He has more than what I would ever accumulate in my life. And by obeying Him, I am being blessed by Him. And the blessings does not always come materially but still I know that God has blessed me! Since God has always made me a priority and have always provided for me abundantly, what's just giving a little back to him.