And When You... Give

_{BY BRITTANY SCHICK}

This week, we came to the end of our series “And When You…”—when you pray, when you fast, and now, when you give.

Not if. 
When. 

Jesus assumes these practices will be part of a faithful life. What He pauses over is not whether we do them, but why we do them—and who we’re doing them for.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” (Matthew 6:1)

Giving, like prayer and fasting, has a way of quietly revealing our motives. It exposes what we hope will save us. It shows us where our trust really sits. It asks a question we don’t always want to answer: “Am I doing this for God, or for approval?”

Paul writes extensively about generosity in 2 Corinthians—not as a command, but as formation. He urges the church to excel in the grace of giving. To grow. To practice. To move beyond what’s comfortable or expected.

That word excel stays with me. Growth doesn’t happen in a moment. It happens through repetition—through small, faithful choices made over time. Scripture talks about money often, not because God needs it, but because our hearts so easily attach themselves to it. What we hold onto can quietly begin to hold us.

Giving invites us to loosen our grip. Not because God wants our money— but because God wants our hearts.

One of the most freeing reminders from Patrick’s sermon was that generosity is not loss—it’s protection. Giving becomes a safeguard against greed, a gentle reorientation of what matters most. Paul says God loves a cheerful giver. Not a pressured one. Not a performative one. A willing one. A giver led by the Spirit, not by guilt.

Generosity doesn’t stop with us. It meets real needs. It sustains the work of the church. It makes room for ministry, for people, for presence. At Traverse, our shared generosity allows us to reach others, grow in faith, bless our community, and steward what we’ve been entrusted with. None of it happens in isolation.

The giving challenge for 2026 isn’t a demand—it’s an invitation.

To move, slowly and faithfully:
From nothing to something.
From something to proportional.
From proportional to tithe.
From tithe to Spirit-led generosity.

There is no comparison here. Only prayer. Only honesty. Only the simple question: 
God, what does faithfulness look like for me right now?

Because when we give quietly—without applause, without recognition—we are shaped just as much as the gift itself.

A Closing Prayer

God, You see what no one else sees. You know the motives of our hearts. Teach us to give with trust, not fear. With freedom, not pressure. Loosen what we hold too tightly and help us rest in Your provision. May our giving be an act of quiet devotion to You. Amen.