We all have our reasons why not to give. The common barriers to generosity are pride, greed, debt, stinginess, or busyness.
Pride because sometimes we believe that we’ve worked hard for everything we own therefore it is ours and ours alone. We blame the poor for their situation and we judge them as lazy or taking advantage of us when they ask for help.
Greed because whether we admit it or not, we always want more and seem to not get enough. Because of this lack of contentment, we are more inclined to take than to give.
Debt because how can you give freely if you are a slave to your lenders. Financial debt has a way of choking out generosity because our additional resources are going towards monthly payments and high interest rates!
Stinginess because we always calculate the possible returns for each amount that we give. The motivation is to get something by giving. And if we do give, we want to make sure that no one gets more than they should. We ask ‘what’s in it for me?’ first before we give.
Busyness because we don’t have time to help and think of what we can do for others. We often numb ourselves with self-centered activities, hobbies, and endeavors and give little regard to our neighbors in need.
The Need to Give
For all the reasons listed above, you may remember that sharing is the first lesson your parents taught you as a kid. Our parents understood that there’s a blessing promised to those who give to others. This was often difficult to understand at a young age but as we mature in our Christian life, giving or sharing is a result of faith and relations with God.
What You Need To Know To Be Generous
Being generous should come naturally as you grow in your walk with the Lord. You should be able to learn who you are and what God has done for you. To become generous, here are a few things that come from God’s Word which you need to know.
1. You’re a child of God
Generosity starts when you understand that as a Christian, you are a child of God who is the ultimate giver. God is love and love is the motivation for giving us His most precious Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we will no longer perish but instead have eternal life (John 3:16).
As a child of God, you now have his nature. Generosity is now in your DNA. As Christ’s followers and disciples, we are to follow Jesus’ example who gave his life for us.This is the reason that God told us to imitate Him. “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
We often hear the comment, “like father, like son.” That’s often true. People assume that how a child behaves depends on what kind of parent he has. If we claim to be Christians, we need to walk in the manner we have been called.
We are God’s children so we should naturally reflect His character in our lifestyle. As we yield more to the indwelling Holy Spirit and pay closer attention to who we are and not what we have, our generosity will be evident.
2. Giving comes from the heart
Giving is a matter of the heart, not the wallet. It’s a matter of how we trust God more than we trust money.
In the book of second Corinthians, we learn about the story of the Macedonian church who, in spite of their poverty, pleaded with Paul so they could help the suffering Christians in Jerusalem. This absolutely made no sense.
Surprisingly, the Macedonians didn’t consider their lack of finances to be an excuse not to be involved in the relief effort. When they heard that the believers in Jerusalem needed help, they volunteered to give. It was a natural reaction for them. They were acting the way God would act.
Scripture declares, “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8:5). That was the secret. Their hearts were surrendered to God and so their wallets followed.
3. You have an unlimited source
Your desire to give will be founded on your view of God. He is limitless. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). The Bible says heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1).
You won’t leave room for any doubt if you know who God truly is and what he’s capable of. But you’ll always be stingy if you think the Lord will run out of resources.
I remember a time when I asked my son to share his favourite candies with his sister. He often refused because he thought that that’s all the candy he had. Little did he know that we just bought another packet of candies and they were in our pantry.
I told him that he would have more if he gave some but I had a hard time convincing him. He was afraid to share because he thought there would be no more candies left once he gave away what was his. He lacked confidence in my ability to replace what he was asked to give.
This is how it is in our Christian walk. Our God is not a ‘God of lack’ but a God who is ‘more than enough’. When we bless others, God takes care of our needs. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” You cannot outgive an eternal God.
4. Giving is an opportunity to change lives
The Bible teaches us that we are blessed not just so that we can feel good, not just so we can be happy and comfortable, but so that we will bless others. Our blessings should flow to others.
1 John 3:17 says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
If you’re a Christian, God has given you the grace to show compassion through giving. The gift of the Holy Spirit is love and kindness. Ask the Lord what he wants to do through you. This prayer lets the sovereign God open your eyes to possibility. You cannot do everything, but you can do something! This attitude leads you to discover that your generosity is not based on your finite ability but on God’s supernatural provision.
The example of God selflessly giving Jesus to us unlocked the opportunity for us to become children of God.God gave so that people would not perish, but have eternal life.He provided for our deepest need. He saw the deep stain of sin and removed it through His Son, Jesus.
Our future is determined by what we sow today. Paul says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:10). In blessing others, you are blessed. Giving profits both the giver and those who receive.
Generosity is not about money. It’s about helping people in need. Whenever it becomes about money such as who gave how much, generosity loses its purity and no longer works as God intended it to be.
God is delighted in cheerful giving.God is inviting us to be a part of the great work He is doing in changing lives of people. He invites us to work with Him. Think about the ways your being generous could make a difference in other people’s lives, for Christ’s glory and then do it!
