Our money and our emotions are often linked together. We put our money where our passions are. It might be our home, our children, a car or boat, or a particular hobby. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

One of the ways I love to use my money is by giving it away to make a difference. I love to give money to people in need and I love giving money to the cause of Jesus Christ. I started giving money to spread the Good News of Jesus while I was in college. I didn’t have much to give, but it felt great and it was fun! The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver and I love being a cheerful giver.

Seeing the results is a great joy. When I see lives changed through the church, when I hear missionaries report about their work, when I know that poor people are helped, it makes me feel great to know that I had a part. It’s the best investment I can make.

And you know – I’ve never regretted giving. I’ve regretted purchases I’ve made. I’ve regretted money I wasted. But I’ve never regretted giving. I’ll admit there have been times when I thought I would because I feared not having enough money for my expenses, but that’s never happened. In fact, the more sacrificial the gift, the more I’ve grown in my faith. Everything we have is a gift from God and he wants us to hold those gifts in an open hand.