When God said:

"Let's Go Give Generously"

By Brandon Lauranzon

READ

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Proverbs 11:24  

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasure in heaven. Matthew 6:19-20   

 …remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35 
 
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 by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9  

TO THINK ABOUT

The Paradox of Generosity
Generosity is contradictory to the logic of our culture. It is absurd to suggest that it is better to be a giver than a receiver. It goes against economics, it goes against the survival of the fittest, it goes against the belief that, “I can’t love someone else until I first love myself.” But followers of Jesus must learn to embrace the paradox of generous living. John Bunyan wrote in Pilgrim’s Progress, “A man there was, and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had.” Generosity is part of how God designed us to experience full human flourishing. Scottish pastor W.M. MacGregor said, “A selfish man is never rich. His day is as long as his neighbor’s, yet he has no leisure except for his own amusements, no sympathy or concern beyond his own perplexities, no strength but to fight his own battles, and no money except for his own need; what haunts his mind at every turn is the dread of having too little for himself.” Do you want to be rich? I don’t mean financially. Do you want to live a rich life? The paradox is that the truly rich life is the life of generosity. 

The Practice of Generosity
Money is just one small application of being generous. If all you equate with generosity is giving money then you will never be a generous person. There are many ways to be generous, but here are at least four:

1. Be generous with your resources. Yes, that includes money, but it’s far bigger than dollars and cents. Everything you have is a gift from God – your house, your car, your clothes, your food. Any possession you have is from God and it’s meant to be shared, not hoarded. Martin Luther said, “I have had many things in my hands that I lost; the things that I placed in the hands of God I still possess.”
2. Be generous with your time. Time is a nonrenewable resource. Everyone gets the same 24 hours every day. Spend time with your spouse, with your children, with your family, with your friends. Spend time with people who are lonely and hurting. Linger in conversations. Go out of your way, inconvenience your schedule, to show someone you care. Stop spending so much of your time absorbed with yourself and what you are making of this life.
3. Be generous with your words. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Are you stingy, are you tight-lipped with your praise of others? Do your words more often encourage or discourage? Are you careless with the things you say? God wants us to be generous with our words. He wants us to build others up, not tear them down. Being generous with your words means calling out goodness in others, seeing them in the light of who God is making them to be and praising that. We need to especially remember to be generous with our words when we’re communicating via email or text or social media. It’s amazing to me the things people will write that they would never say to someone’s face. Be generous with how you speak about those whom you disagree with. Gossip and slander are being verbally ungenerous.
4. Be generous with your forgiveness. Jesus’ followers don’t keep count of how many times they forgive. Seek to forgive quickly. Don’t hold things over others’ heads. Don’t add qualifications to your forgiveness. God calls us to be generous with our forgiveness. 

The Power for Generosity
Generous people don’t just happen. Our natural propensity is toward selfishness and stinginess. So where is the hope for change? What has the power to make us generous?  In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul calls on the church to be generous, but he doesn’t guilt them, nor does he pressure them. Instead, he reminds them of grace. Only the grace of God can free a soul from self-centeredness and empower a lifestyle of generosity. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus is what gives us the power to sacrifice for others. Jesus became “poor;” he took on our flesh in the incarnation and took on our sin in his death. Up until the 17th century the word “generous” meant of noble birth. It described someone who was born into a position of wealth, but with the position came the responsibility to be unselfish. Through faith in Jesus, we have been adopted by the King of the Universe. In Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing so we do not lack for anything we need. Out of our position of wealth, we are now given the joyful opportunity to be generous. So, brothers and sisters, LET’S GO give generously!

TO APPLY

1. What internal or external forces keep you from embracing the paradox of generous living?
2. Of the four ways of generosity listed, which one would you like to improve upon the most?
3. When you remember the grace of God shown to you in Christ, what emotions and desires are produced within you?

PRAY

Adoration—Adore God as the Generous Giver of every good gift in your life.
Confession—Confess to God your lack of generosity in a specific area.
Thanksgiving—Thank God for sending Jesus to become poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.
Supplication—Ask God to give you a paradoxically generous life.