What if God Asked You to Give Away Your Favorite Toy?

When you were a child, did you have a favorite toy? Was there one that meant more to you than others? Maybe it meant more because a special relative had given it to you. Perhaps the toy meant more because of the memories associated with it. Or maybe it meant more because you had purchased it with your own money.

For whatever reason, it became your favorite, one that would be difficult to give away even if God asked.

For me, it was baseball cards.

The Gift I Gave

I know, technically, baseball cards are not toys — unless you have a dynamic imagination that can play with them as if they were. Imagination was one thing I had in spades. That and over 600 baseball cards.

But there came a day when I gave the entire card collection away.

I was in my early teenage years, as I recall. I remember my mother, knowing how much the cards meant to me, asking, “Are you sure?” I was. The younger boy I gave them too had gone through a divorce in his family. He was struggling. But part of me was also maturing to a place where playing with baseball cards just weren’t that important anymore. Not when computers and other cool stuff were waiting.

As I watched the short but moving film “First” from Rhemedia’s Living Generously series, I began to ask myself the question, did I really give away my best or had those well-worn baseball cards become “dirty sheep” that I was only far too eager to let go?

Take a few minutes now to watch the seven-minute story of how one young boy — and his wealthy father — responded differently when God prompted them to give of their best:

Makes you think doesn’t it?

So Why Did I Give?

The film above moved me to recall the words of David when given a chance to make a public offering of someone else’s stuff. He said, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” (2 Sam. 24:24) No cost, apparently, equals no genuine sacrifice.

So if it didn’t hurt — at least a little — did my gift come from a generous heart or had I just been hoping that it looked that way?

As I reflected on David’s words and that gift I gave so long ago, I started thinking about how I would respond now if God asked me to give away one of my favorite toys?

No, I don’t play with baseball cards or action figures anymore. Not even video games make the cut.  I seldom even have time for golf. But what would I be hesitant to give? My money? My time? A hobby? Ministry efforts? Items on my bucket list?

What would make me balk if God asked me to give it away for His Kingdom purposes?

What might be your favorite toy and how would you respond if God asked you to give it away? Share your thoughts or your own childhood story below.