Generosity–A Personal Journey
It’s how I was raised.
Summer in Texas meant there would be no air-conditioning turned on. Why? It cost too much. Could we afford it? Yes. But you might need that money down the road for something else. My brother and sister and I would take a shower before going to bed and not dry off to stay cool and go to sleep.
I was raised in a middle class home with a scarcity mindset. What is that?
A scarcity mindset believes there are only limited resources. There will never be enough. So, hold on to everything very tightly. This mindset confused me. I was blessed with parents who were Christians, who knew God was unlimited, that He had the cattle on a thousand hills.
“For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10
How does God and a scarcity mindset go together? They don’t. So, generosity was in the category for me of something I ought to do, I will do because I should do it. But I was very distant from being a cheerful giver.
“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Then I met Alta Lynn, my wife.
Why Is Generosity So Important?
“Wherever your treasure is, the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:21. Jesus connects how we deal with, handle our money with the direction of our heart. In other words, our heart–the most important part of who we are–the part of us that God wants to be His, is directed according to Jesus by the management of our treasure.
Alta Lynn was one of the first people I ever knew who was truly generous. The kind of generous that was immediate, instinctive and consistent. I remember the time we were in a restaurant in Dallas and the waitress commented on liking Alta Lynn’s brand new designed purse. As the waitress walked away, Alta Lynn started emptying out the purse. I asked: “What are you doing?” “I’m going to give her the purse, because she liked it so much.”
Generosity simply reflects the heart of God. When we give generously of what we have, we reflect our Heavenly Father.
“For God loved the world that He have His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God so loved that He gave.
Generosity is an area of spiritual growth just like faith, prayer, and reading the Bible. There are 500 verses in the Bible about prayer. There are 500 verses in the Bible about faith. When it comes to money and possessions and giving there are over 2300 verses. Jesus talked more about money than love, prayer or forgiveness. Why? It’s all about your heart, it’s all about Matthew 6:21.
Lessons About Generosity
“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.
There are several great lessons about generosity from these verses:
There should be a personal deciding process. Most people don’t decide. They react. We hear a sad song and story on TV and we text in some money. We spontaneously and sporadically give. Scripture points us toward a decision, that is personal. But we need to decide.
Our motivation for generosity should never be out of manipulation. Manipulation is not the path toward generosity. But if we’ve already decided, those tactics will have little impact.
God loves cheerful giving. I love to be generous. My personal goal in generosity was to become cheerful. I get blessed, someone else gets blessed in the generosity process, how could you not be cheerful?
God will provide our needs. It comes down to God's math. Let’s say you give a tithe away–10%. Which will work better? God providing for you and your family on 90% of your income or what you can do on 100%? There will even be leftovers!
What Is The Generosity Strategy?
The Biblical strategy for generosity is: Premeditated Generosity.
This is where you decide ahead of time how much to give and where you will be generous before your circumstances talk you out of it.
I have been blessed to have a wife and several close friends who show me generosity giving on a regular basis. They support the church they are on mission with, they give to meet tangible needs, and they give above and beyond to help people and the Kingdom of God. As a pastor, I want this for my church family. This is definitely not something I want from them, this is something that is amazing, faith-based and is part of our spiritual growth.
Excel in giving so that you may please God, serve others, and enjoy treasures in Heaven. When you do, you’ll feel the freedom, experience the joy, and sense the smile of God.