{"id":52322,"title":"The Joy of Giving | The Life On Pause Blog","description":"Discover the joy that comes from generosity and why giving reflects the heart of Jesus.","content":"<p>We live in a world that often tells us joy comes from what we can get, status, possessions, experiences, and recognition. But Scripture flips that idea on its head. True joy is found not in hoarding but in giving.<\/p><p>Acts 20:35 reminds us of Jesus\u2019 words: <em>\u201cIt is more blessed to give than to receive.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>That isn\u2019t just a nice saying, it\u2019s a truth that reorients our hearts. Giving is not loss; it is gain.<\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>Why Giving Brings Joy<\/strong><\/p><p>When we give, something shifts within us. We loosen our grip on what we think sustains us and open our hands to God\u2019s provision. Generosity teaches us that what we have is never truly ours, it\u2019s a gift entrusted to us to steward.<\/p><p>Proverbs 11:25 says, <em>\u201cA generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>In God\u2019s economy, giving never leaves us empty.<\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>The Example of Christ<\/strong><\/p><p>The greatest example of giving is Christ Himself. He gave His time, His compassion, His love, and ultimately His very life. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:9: <em>\u201cThough he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>When we give, we reflect Jesus. Our generosity becomes a living testimony of His love at work through us.<\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>Living Generously Today<\/strong><\/p><p>So how do we live out this calling?<\/p><p>\u2022 <strong>Give your time<\/strong> \u2014 Listen, encourage, and invest in people.<\/p><p>\u2022 <strong>Give your resources<\/strong> \u2014 Support those in need, share freely, and trust God to provide.<\/p><p>\u2022 <strong>Give your heart<\/strong> \u2014 Be present, forgive, and love as Christ loves.<\/p><p>Generosity isn\u2019t just about money. It\u2019s about living open-handed in every area of life.<\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>Eternal Impact<\/strong><\/p><p>What we give on earth has ripple effects in eternity. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:20: <em>\u201cStore up for yourselves treasures in heaven.\u201d<\/em> Every act of generosity echoes into forever.<\/p><p>When people look back on our lives, may they see not how much we gathered but how much we gave.<\/p><p><\/p><p><strong>Closing Prayer<\/strong><\/p><p>\u201cLord, thank You for every good gift. Teach me to give freely, cheerfully, and with joy. May my generosity point others to You. Amen.\u201d<\/p><p><\/p><p>- Nathanael Shepherd, Founder &amp; CEO<\/p><p><\/p><p>Sign up to my newsletter so you don\u2019t miss my next blog\ud83d\udce9\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonpause.store\/subscribe\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/p><p>My personal\ud83d\ude01\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nathanael_shepherd?igsh=MWl0czBpdDA0cG96Zg%3D%3D&amp;utm_source=qr\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">instagram<\/a><\/p><p>Follow my photography\ud83d\udcf8 on\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/life_on_pause_?igsh=MW5hb2dobWt4em55bQ%3D%3D&amp;utm_source=qr\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">instagram<\/a><\/p><p>Shop latest products\ud83d\uded2\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonpause.store\/collection\/new\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/p><p>Buy me a coffee\u2615\ufe0f\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/buymeacoffee.com\/life_on_pause_\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/p><p>Explore more links\ud83d\udc40 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonpause.store\/links\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/p><p><\/p><p>This blog was shaped with the help of AI tools to refine and organise my thoughts. <span style=\"font-family:'Times New Roman';\">While I\u2019ve grown to dislike AI, I will keep these blogs public, as what it has said I believe to be correct. I can see now that it reads very much like AI, even though a lot of this is my thoughts. <\/span><\/p>","urlTitle":"the-joy-of-giving","url":"\/blog\/the-joy-of-giving\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/the-joy-of-giving\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/lifeonpause.store\/blog\/the-joy-of-giving\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1758879337,"updatedAt":1791219214,"publishedAt":1791219214,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":344950,"name":"Life on pause"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bhemzsc0uyulo9soyr1zl3bhgxzzeclrnl0iml3m6tldqp2n.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bhemzsc0uyulo9soyr1zl3bhgxzzeclrnl0iml3m6tldqp2n.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bhemzsc0uyulo9soyr1zl3bhgxzzeclrnl0iml3m6tldqp2n.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"The Joy of Giving | The Life On Pause Blog","metaDescription":"True joy is found in giving. Learn why generosity refreshes your soul and reflects the heart of Christ.","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":50961,"title":"Why Worry? | The Life On Pause Blog","url":"\/blog\/why-worry-the-life-on-pause-blog\/","urlTitle":"why-worry-the-life-on-pause-blog","division":344950,"description":"A short reflection on Matthew 6:25, the origins of the word \"worry,\" and how God's promises free us from the stranglehold of fear.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ruw9dda9yqzq3o6kvjgjvfqi0ljuvwvjp5pgpukcczdjijit.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ruw9dda9yqzq3o6kvjgjvfqi0ljuvwvjp5pgpukcczdjijit.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":50802,"title":"The Jam Trap | The Life On Pause Blog","url":"\/blog\/the-jam-trap-the-life-on-pause-blog\/","urlTitle":"the-jam-trap-the-life-on-pause-blog","division":344950,"description":"A simple moment in the garden turned into a powerful lesson: what if the comfort you\u2019re enjoying is actually keeping you from something greater?","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/xipf17tcsqhscdxiewqgbz63ag3obn8rcgy2pgvab7r8fwwg.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/xipf17tcsqhscdxiewqgbz63ag3obn8rcgy2pgvab7r8fwwg.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":51083,"title":"Your Spiritual Interest | The Life On Pause Blog","url":"\/blog\/your-spiritual-interest-the-life-on-pause-blog\/","urlTitle":"your-spiritual-interest-the-life-on-pause-blog","division":344950,"description":"Discover how small daily spiritual habits, like reading, praying, and trusting, can lead to exponential growth through the power of spiritual compound interest.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/lj6gadacstipeinrxrirtdlulxyrqrnvttilpo8a4wi4catj.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/lj6gadacstipeinrxrirtdlulxyrqrnvttilpo8a4wi4catj.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}