How To Be Generous
Yesterday my dad wrote a post on imitating our generous God. A post like that leads to the obvious question, how do I grow in generosity? Here’s just a few practical suggestions on how we can grow in being cheerful givers.
Pray For A Generous Heart
Fact: we’re sinfully, selfishly, stingy (say it three times fast) by nature. My selfish heart doesn’t get real revved up about giving away my hard earned money. I would rather spend it on other things like, say, myself. I would rather plunk down sixty bucks on some new jeans and a nice dinner with my wife, than drop it into the offering basket. Why? Because I’m selfish. I need God to give me a cheerful, generous heart. Check out the early church in Acts 2:44-46
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts…
These folks were generosity freaks. They were selling off their couches and land so that they could give the money to those who needed it. I want to be generous like that. God needs to change me. I need to pray.
Make Giving A Habit
If giving isn’t a habit there’s a good chance it won’t happen. I saw this recently in my own life when I had been waiting to tithe until the week after I got paid. In other words, I got paid on a Friday, and would tithe on that check 9 days later on Sunday. The result? During those 9 days I would pay bills, buy groceries, go on a date with my wife, and buy a book that I didn’t really need. By the time Sunday came around my bank account was low and I wasn’t able to give as generously. God convicted me that I needed to be in the habit of tithing and giving to our new building project first, before I spent money on anything else. Give to God first and let him take care of the details.
Look At The Big Picture
Think about what really happens when you give. You give money to your church, the gospel is preached, souls are won for the glory of God. You give money to the poor, a starving little boy gets food in his stomach, you get eternal rewards. You give money to a Christian in need, they rejoice in the provision of God, you get the joy of seeing them grow in faith. If we want to grow in generosity, we need to see the big picture. We’re not just putting money into a basket, we’re investing into eternity.
*photo by chefranden
Posted in Giving
April 1st, 2008 at 10:03 am
As a grad student, I’m on a pretty tight budget, but I have other assets that have been made clear to me. I have O+ blood, which is always in high demand, so I give blood as regularly as the red cross allows. If I wait for a blood drive I forget, so I schedule an appointment right at the red cross building whenever I go in.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:37 am
I get paid every 2 weeks. The first thing I do on payday is write out 2 tithe checks, for the following 2 Sundays, and put them in my wallet. Then I deal with the rest of my bills and spending.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:52 am
Becca - That’s a really good point. We can still be generous to God, even if it’s not necessarily with our money.
Robert - Good, practical suggestion. That’s a great way to put God before everything else.
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Great post, I’m continually amazed at how Christ has placed it in peoples hearts to give financially to reaching the lost.
I work in a mission that prints and ships christian literature, specifically Gospels of John, free to mostly developing countries throughout the world. I think we ship to around about 120 countries. But our factory, and all this shipping costs above £21000 per week. With a clause that our founder wrote that if we are even short 1p we close the doors it is amazing that after 50 years this work has went from strength to strength in God’s providence through his people.
Praise God for working in his people to have generous hearts to give of their resources in order that many may receive God’s Word and have opportunity to know Him.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Boaly,
What a great testimony to God’s faithfulness. Isn’t it cool to be able to see God faithfully meet us over and over?