Brett Elder and Bob Wielenga, Contributors

Most persons don't take much time to think about opportunities for giving. If you are like the authors of this article, you would probably think, "What will I get paid for my efforts," or "What can I spend my money on?" Yet some of the most valuable parts of life are the investments we make in others. In other words, perhaps the question is not, "What can I get," but, rather, "What can I give?"

Giving is not a natural process. Since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, human beings have struggled to recognise a very important truth; the fact that God owns everything. Oh, certainly most persons are smart enough to acknowledge this truth with great enthusiasm when in Christian circles. After all, a lot of persons have been taught this truth from early in their Church-going experience.

But, if the truth be told, we the authors, would much rather accumulate the comforts of life rather than look for reasons to give them away. Why? Well, perhaps it is because there are few arenas of life that we can 'control'. God has only given each person a certain amount of time. Each person is limited in his/her gifts and talents. But stuff and money we can accumulate; we can hoard these things. We can be in control. Society tells us that we can own a home, own a car, own an iPod, and accumulate some money for our retirement. Though these things are perfectly acceptable to aspire towards, our language even contributes to the lie that we can own any of these things. Be generous

Nowhere in history does God ever relinquish ownership of anything that He created. He still owns it all, and you and the writers of this article have been given the privilege of being His stewards, or managers, of stuff that does not belong to us - to accomplish the purposes of the One who graciously entrusted it to us all.

God calls us to use His resources to be generous toward others - regardless of our wealth, lack thereof, or our particular lot in life. Every person have something to give - and the Apostle Paul encourages each of us to "excel in the grace of giving" - just as we who profess faith in Christ would all strive to excel in every other area of the Christian life. Why did Paul bother to encourage Christians to mature as stewards? Perhaps he understood that giving does not come naturally. People need to be encouraged to exercise the privilege of giving.

You are quite likely the product of the time, energy and resources that someone else invested in you. Return the favour. Give back generously.

Perhaps your church has blessed you. Maybe it was a local organisation, or group of individuals that provided you a boost of encouragement through their generosity. Or perhaps you see some need around you that you could help meet.

Giving people are happy people and giving societies are healthy societies. So, if you want to make a difference in your life, and the lives of others, consider giving.

Brett Elder & Bob Wielenga are management consultants who promote biblical stewardship. They may be reached at info info@goinvestwisely.org. Their company's website is at www.goinvestwisely.org.

You probably didn't wake up this morning thinking to yourself,

'Hmmm, I wonder what I can give away today.'