Giving Generously

Generosity is at the heart of God, and so when we give, we are showing people God’s heart. Generous living is such an important aspect of our faith, that it is discussed all throughout Scripture…

• James teaches that God gives wisdom generously to those who ask. (James 1:5)

• John wrote that God so loved the world that He gave Jesus to us. (John 3:16)

• Paul praised the church in Macedonia who, though they were living in poverty, “overflowed in a wealth of generosity … for they gave according to their means.” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3 ESV; emphasis added)

• Paul told the Corinthian church that God “loves a cheerful giver,” and that when we give, “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 9:8 NLT)

• King Solomon believed that, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)

God shows us in the Bible that when we give to the poor, when we lend to one another, and when we give to our brothers and sisters in the Church, He will supply our needs and He will bless us according to His will and His ways.

He sees what we give and He blesses us—but this doesn't mean giving is a magic formula. We shouldn’t use our giving to test God to see if He will give us something in return. We give because Jesus gave His life for us. We give because we are made in the image of our generous and gracious God.

We give because God first gave Himself to us, and we trust that He will provide for us, and be enough for us.

So in what ways can you be generous to someone else? Are there people in your community you could give to, even if it means sacrificing something? How can you give as the Lord gave to you?