“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)
He may have been vertically challenged, but he was a key player in the Jericho tax cartel. He was a filthy rich little guy, a guy named Zacchaeus.
But when he met Jesus, everything changed — not only his heart, but his hands. The same fingers that once reached to extort as much money as possible, now extended
with generosity to the poor, and to pay back fourfold anyone he’d ripped off.
“But “Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’” Luke 19:8 (NIV)
A SIGN OF A NEW HEART
Just a few verses earlier in the book of Luke (Luke 18), Jesus encountered another wealthy man, who is commonly known as the Rich Young Ruler. His money was his barrier
to him following Jesus. Zacchaeus vs. The Rich Young Ruler. One chose his financial portfolio over following Jesus, but Zacchaeus gave up his hold on his possessions. The
gospel opens our heart, and our hands as we hold tight to a God who is the ultimate giver in so many life-changing ways.
HOW WE GIVE MATTERS
As Christians, the issue is not just that we do actually give to God, but how we give to God.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
Sometimes it’s a matter of praying: God, help me to do what You want me to do in this part of my heart. God, please help my heart to change to be like Your heart. I want to
be generous with what You have given me. I want to give.
HOW DO I DEVELOP THE HABIT OF GENEROSITY?
Here’s the good news: Our heart will follow where our treasure goes “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV). You can develop the
habit of generosity. Just start. At the point that you begin to give to God several things begin to happen:
(1) Where your money goes, your heart will follow it.
(2) You will be blessed. It’s a win/win. You are fulfilled. You have a part in God’s work.
(3) You defeat a god that can have great power over us when you give. You are freed from greed, worry, and materialism.
A few years back, I knew God wanted me to grow in this area of generosity. My goal was not just to give to God, but to begin to be generous as part of my life–as a
reflex. God used two great tools to teach me this. First, I was around my wife and several friends who were the most generous people I knew. They had a habit and pattern
of generosity that challenged me. Next, I started trying to be generous in several different ways. One way was to buy meals at restaurants for anyone I knew when I walked
in. I decided ahead of time and it became fun to see who would be at that restaurant. Both of these tools helped me develop the habit of generosity.
WHY WE GIVE
For the follower of Jesus, giving is from the foundation that Jesus Himself, our Lord and Savior–showed the ultimate in generosity in coming to save us.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)
If Jesus is our Lord, then increasingly He will want us to grow in our own generosity. Jesus spoke frequently and with many warnings about the dangerous power of greed
over us. But He also appealed strongly to our joy and said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
