Giving must cost you something

**Joyce Meyer

I believe that in God's economy, nothing cheap is worth having. God gave His only Son to free us, and while we can never equal that sacrifice, we must give back to Him in a way that means something. King David said he would not give God something that cost him nothing. And I have learned that true giving is not giving until I can feel it.

Giving away the clothes and household items I am finished with may be a nice gesture, but it does not equal real giving. Real giving occurs when I give somebody something that I want to keep.

I am sure you had those testing times when God asks you to give away something you like. But when you consider how He gave His only Son for us because of His love for us, doesn't that make you want to give of yourself too?

The simple truth is this: We must give to be happy, and giving is not true giving if it does not cost us something.

Prayer starter: God, I want my giving to be meaningful. Tell me what and when You want me to give to help or just bless someone else. I want to give to others like You have given Your love to me.

2 Samuel 24:24

But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

The nature of God's love

**Joyce Meyer

Sometimes when life gets discouraging, the best thing we can do is remind ourselves of the nature of God's love.

One of the most beautiful things the Bible says is that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (see Romans 5:8). He did not wait for us to deserve His love. He loves us unconditionally. To be honest, that is hard for many of us to comprehend because we are so accustomed to having earn everything in life.

Because of His great, wonderful and intense love for us, God poured His life out for us freely. That is revolutionary love, real, revolutionary love that gives itself away because it can never be satisfied doing anything less.

It is God's unconditional love that draws us to Him, His amazing grace that erases our sin, and His powerful sacrifice that makes a way for us to enter His presence. His love will never quit, never give up, and never leave you. Whenever you feel down or depressed, remember the great love that God has for you.

Prayer starter: God, Your love overwhelms me. Even when I do not feel like it, I know that Your love never quits. You gave Your all for me, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You love me.

Ephesians 2:4-5

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were deaf in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.

Learn to forgive like Jesus

**Joyce Meyer

I once heard about a teenager who was drinking and caused an accident that killed a man's wife and child. The man knew God wanted him to forgive the young man who caused the accident, and through much prayer he was able to let the love of God flow through him.

That man knew how to forgive like Jesus. He understood that this young man was also hurting himself and needed healing.

When people hurt us, we should learn to look at what people have done to themselves instead of just looking at what they have done to us. Usually, when a person hurts someone else, he is probably hurting himself at least as much and is suffering some fallout as a result. That is why, as He hung on the cross in agony, Jesus said of His murderers, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'

That is incredible forgiveness. Let that inspire you today. We all need to seek to forgive like Jesus.

Prayer starter: Lord, when people hurts me, help me to see past my own pain and see their pain. Help me to love and forgive like Jesus.

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Let people know they are infinitely valuable

**Joyce Meyer

I have discovered that most people we meet or come in contact with in our everyday lives do not have a sense of their infinite value as children of God. I think the devil works very hard to make people feel devalued and worthless, but we can neutralize the effect of his lies and insinuations by building up, encouraging and edifying people.

One way to do this is with a sincere compliment, which is one of the most valuable  gifts in this world. Offering a sincere compliment may seem like a small thing, but it gives tremendous strength to people who feel insecure or like they do not matter much.

I believe in having goals, and as I was working with God to develop good habits in the area of encouraging others, I challenged myself to compliment at least three people each day. I recommend that you do something similar to help you become an aggressive encourager.

The Bible says that God adopts as His children those who feel abandoned. Let us find those people and strive to build them up, making them feel valuable. Let us let them know that God loves them.

Prayer starter: Holy Spirit, show me the people who do not know that God loves them as His own children. Bring me across their path so that I can encourage them and make them feel valuable.

Psalm 27:10

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

Take down the 'Do not disturb' sign

**Joyce Meyer

I frequently stay in hotels during my ministry travels. When I am in my room, I usually put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door so nobody will bother me. Hanging this sign on my hotel room door is acceptable. But putting it on my life is not.

Have you ever noticed that God does not always do things on our timetable or in ways that are convenient for us? Paul told Timothy that as a servant of God and a minister of the Gospel, he needed to fulfill his duties whether it was convenient for him or not.

I doubt Timothy was nearly as addicted to convenience as we are today. But if he needed to hear that, then I am sure we need to hear it frequently.

It is easy to put a "Do Not Disturb" sign over our hearts for fear that God's call will inconvenience us, but we miss out on so many great opportunities when we do this. We need to remember that whatever God asked us to do, it is always worth any inconvenience or difficulty we face in the process. And He will always make a way for us to accomplish His will when we are obedient to Him.

Prayer starter: God, I choose today to take down the 'Do Not Disturb' sign over my heart. Even if it inconveniences me, I want to obey You and do what You ask me to do.

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.

More than conquerors

**Joyce Meyer

God gives us dreams for the future, but sometimes those dreams can seem impossible. That is when fear starts to set in.

If you are determined to never give up on your dream, then you have to take chances, you have to be courageous. And you need to understand that courage is not the absence of fear; it is pressing forward when you feel afraid. So when you face situations that threaten or intimidate you, you do not need to pray as much for the fear to go away as for boldness and courage so you can move ahead in spite of the fear.

The spirit of fear will always try to keep you from going forward. The enemy has used fear for centuries to try to stop people, and he is not going to change his strategy now. But you can defeat fear, because you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves us.

I want to encourage you to be determined to face fear when it comes against you. Stand firm, trusting God and knowing He is always with you.

Prayer starter: God, even though I might feel afraid, I believe Your Word, which says that I am more than a conqueror. I can accomplish every dream You have given me because You love me and give me the victory.

Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Understanding our emotions

**Joyce Meyer

I talk a lot about how we need to follow the Spirit, not our emotions. However, I find that a lot of people do not even understand how our emotions operate in the first place.

Emotions are in the realm of the soul. Our soul is the intangible area between our spirit, the place where God lives, and our physical body. It is made up of our mind, will and emotions, it tells us what we think, what we want and how we feel. Of these three areas of the soul, it is our feeling that get stirred up the fastest.

In other words, our God-given inner voice of insight and understanding become easily drowned out by the cries of our emotions. The Bible says that this kind of fleshly life does not please God. This does not mean that God does not love us. What it does mean is that He is not satisfied with nor will He accept fleshly behavior.

However, once you understand how negative emotions work, you can combat them. Our souls may be strong, but our spirits can be stronger if we strengthen them. Get in the Word today, and give your spirit the strength to overcome your emotions.

Prayer starter: God, I do not want to let my emotions overpower my spirit. As I spend time with You and read Your Word, give me the power I need to be led by the Spirit, not just how I feel.

Romans 8:8

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.