Generosity can be a prickly subject. Learn these four truths about generosity to shift your perspective and set you free.
Have you heard any of these quotes about generosity before?
– Because God is generous, we are too.
– It is better to give than to receive.
– Generosity sets the heart free.
– “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill
– “Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.” John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Generosity can be such an intriguing and equally touchy topic.
Does this scenario feel familiar? Imagine you just gave money to your favorite ministry. On one hand, you feel good about how you’ve given. On the other hand, you feel as though you’re not generous enough. Did you give enough money? Could you have given more? In your heart, you know generosity isn’t just about finances, but you still feel guilty or accused.
Generosity, however, is not about how much you give but how much you sacrifice.
So, what is the path to freedom, joy, and peace in generosity? When will we finally feel like we’re being generous enough? Is generosity in our lives always constant or ever-growing? What is the Lord asking us to do or be generous with? Does God measure generosity the same way we do?
Consider these four points to shift your view about generosity.
1. God is not disappointed in you and your generosity.
I can not tell you all the answers to those questions or to the other countless questions you may have in regard to generosity. But one thing I do know is that God is NOT disappointed in you or your generosity. In fact, he is honored by all the ways you choose to give – whether it’s your time, energy, resources, prayers, or anything.
Have you heard of the story of the widow who gave her two small coins? (Mark 12:41-44) When the widow gave, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Sometimes, I think, we get generosity confused with wealth. Generosity, however, is not about how much you give but how much you sacrifice. We can learn much from the widow in Mark 12. The widow needed those two coins to live on, but she was so surrendered to the Lord that she wanted to give it all to Him. She displayed complete dependency and trust in the Lord to care for all her needs.
2. God's economy is very different from ours.
Yet, there’s this paradox – we all know that to operate businesses, manage ministries, build charities, etc., it takes finances. We rely on the support of those who partner with us. But what if, in God’s great mercy, He is teaching us that His economy is unlike ours?
Consider the boy in Mark 14, the boy who had two loaves of bread and five fish. I think we all can agree that the boy’s lunch was not sufficient to feed over 5,000 men, let alone the women and children who were also there listening to Jesus teach. And yet, God used that boy’s generosity to feed the multitudes!
If God did it, then don’t you think He could do it again today?
God’s provision today may not involve loaves and fish, but it might be with our time, energy, talents, and, yes, even finances. God builds and sustains that which He desires. He will build and establish the businesses, ministries, charities, and endeavors He’s called us to according to His will.
We are called to be faithful stewards, committing everything to Him and trusting that He will provide.
3. He is the God of perfect portions.
When I think about offering everything to Him, I’m reminded of the story of the widow at Zarephath in 1 Kings 17 who was preparing to make one last loaf of bread for her and her son before they prepared to starve to death.
Interestingly, and rather surprisingly, God sent the prophet Elijah to the widow to ask for something to eat and to stay with her and her son. She initially resisted because she saw her lack. How could she possibly feed Elijah too?
Elijah assured her the Lord would provide for her. The widow trusted the Lord and made Elijah some bread, offering it first to him (which really was first to the Lord), and then making enough for herself and her son. Every day while Elijah stayed with her, she had to choose to trust again – to first make some bread for Elijah and then make enough for herself and her son.
The widow’s jar of flour and jug of oil never ran out! But it also never ran over either. She had little and continued to have little, but God always provided! It was a daily act of trust and faith in the Lord. And it wasn’t just for the widow, but for us too.
Generosity teaches us to worship God with everything we are and everything we have.
4. Generosity keeps our hearts free.
Being generous isn’t about having enough for ourselves before we choose to give something away. It’s about committing all we have to the Lord first, trusting that He will provide.
Maybe you feel like you only have just enough to get by. Maybe you feel like you have a good margin to live on. Maybe you’re somewhere in between. Whatever place you find yourself in, what is God calling you to be generous with?
He doesn’t invite us to be generous to take something away from us. Instead, generosity teaches us to worship Him with everything we are and everything we have.
Generosity keeps our hearts free. It keeps our money, possessions, resources, talents, and so on from reigning over out hearts. When we can freely give, we can freely live. Knowing that God is honored and blessed when we are generous with everything He’s given us. He won’t leave us destitute. He won’t abandon us. He won’t let us go without. He will always provide – sometimes in practical ways and sometimes in unexpected ways.
Can you trust Him with your much AND with your little?
There are many stories and examples in the Bible of the generosity of those who had every reason to keep everything to themselves, but they chose to worship and trust instead.
Let’s be like those people!
Let’s honor God with generous hearts and enjoy His presence both now and forevermore. “How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
Lacee is a Platoon 13 graduate and the Donor Relations Director and Ambassador Coordinator here at Revelation Wellness. She lives in Montana with her husband, two teenage daughters, and small collection of farm animals. Backpacking through the mountains, riding horses, watching sunrises and sunsets, and pretty much doing anything outside in God’s beautiful creation are her favorite activities.
