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"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
(2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
Yesterday, we began a discussion of generosity. It is one of the things God is impressing upon me during this season of life when the temptation is to look inward, hoard, and keep what you have. But that is never a wise response for the child of God. We are to live on a higher plane with total trust in God and in His Word, knowing full well that God will not only take care of us, but do much more.
The way to be prosperous is to be generous. You may say, "But that does not make sense," but it does within God's mathematics; He loves a cheerful giver and is the Giver of every good blessing to His children.
From this great Scripture on giving, I glean that you get out of life what you put into it. When you are gracious, generous, and benevolent, you receive in the same measure that you give. Jesus also taught us this principle when He said in Luke 6:38: "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." However, the opposite is equally true: when you sow little and give as little as you possibly can, then you are the poorer for it. As you give cheerfully, God blesses you with all you need and then some.
I have been blessed to know some very generous people. It is simply who they are. I asked them if they would share with me their thoughts on this topic, and they graciously agreed to do so. So, here are some quotes from people of generosity. I appreciate them and their wisdom.
The first one is from Matt, who wrote, "Self-Denial. When one is generous, one has to take his eyes off self and to take care of others, denying selfish desires." You may read this and think Matt is a pastor, but he is actually a very successful businessman in Austin.
This is from Andy: "I am grateful to be able to give, willing to give, happy to give, and blessed to give." Andy is not only very generous with his material possessions, but also with his time, as he invests in many to help build them up and make them better leaders and better people. He coaches a number of successful CEOs and has much wisdom to share. Many people are blessed by his life, and I am as well.
This is from Fred, truly one of the most generous men I have ever met: "Generosity comes from a loving heart. A hard heart can only take. Generosity springs from a person who knows that they have been blessed beyond what is deserved. So, they must give back, hoping to find whom their treasure rightfully belongs to."
This last one is from Judy: "I have never regretted something I gave away." That is so true. When you give and demonstrate generosity toward another, it gives you so much joy that you never regret it.
How about you? How generous are you?
More on generosity tomorrow!
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