Do not say to your neighbor, Go and come again; and tomorrow I will give it. —Proverbs 3:28

Many people struggle with procrastination. As we see in the verse for today, we can easily say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” We can have the best intentions, but if we don’t act on them we will still be disobedient. Procrastination is very deceptive. We don’t see it as disobedience because we intend to obey God; it’s just that we are going to do it when—when we have more money, when we are not so busy, when Christmas is over, or when the children go back to school.

There is no point in saying, “I will be a giver when I have more money or more possessions to give away.” If you aren’t giving out of what you already have, you’re not likely to do it when you have more.

Dave and I tithed from the beginning of our life together, but it never occurred to us to “live to give,” to excel in giving. But, the closer we got to God, the more we wanted to give. We learned that true giving often means sacrificing something that we really would like to keep. We were not in a financial position to give more money than our 10 percent tithe, but strong desire caused us to search for ways to give more. So we gave away personal possessions, extra clothes, household items, and an old car we decided to pass on to a needy friend.

In the process of giving, we discovered that we did not have to have money to be a blessing to others. We could start with what we did have, and as we did God increased us and enabled us to give even more.

Love Others Today: What acts of love or kindness have you been putting off? Do them today.

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.