Living Generously in a Global Pandemic, Pt. 3

When the Apostle Paul addressed the church at Corinth about giving, he
wanted them to give out of a generous heart rather than duty or obligation.

Living Generously in a Global Pandemic, Pt. 3

"Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation."

(2 Corinthians 9:5)

This week's devotions are dedicated to what God is teaching me during this unique time in our world. One of the lessons that I want to keep writing about today is how important it is to be generous at a time like this.

As I researched secular literature on the topic of generosity, I came across some interesting data. In Brett Steenbarger's article entitled, Generosity and Peak Performance, he writes:

Mention "Wall Street" or "hedge funds" to many people and images of greed and cutthroat competition are likely to come to mind. . . . Many of the best practices that I observe among successful money managers are distinctively spiritual. In transcending the ego, they are able to focus deeply, rigorously generate ideas, and find creative ways of expressing those views in markets. Perhaps nowhere is the business/finance stereotype so challenged, however, as in the area of generosity. A broad range of research findings--and observations from trading floors--suggests that giving plays a powerful role in winning and peak performance.

He continues in the article to talk about the correlation between happiness and generosity, concluding that "the generosity-happiness link is a kind of spiral, with acts of giving yielding positive emotions and those emotions further energizing generosity." He even has found that when married couples are generous toward one another in the areas of appreciation and kindness, they are much happier. He writes that "even small acts of giving, such as making a partner coffee in the morning or giving a foot massage, can lead to relationship happiness."

(See Source.)

In another article I came across, the author wrote that there is a link between being generous and happy, with effects shown in the brain activity of those being generous. There is a noticeable action in the physical brain of those who are generous! I think that's pretty cool! Let's do our brains some good and be generous!

(See Source.)

In our biblical text for today, the Apostle Paul addresses the church at Corinth on the principle of generous giving. He wants them to go ahead and prepare the offering they were going to give for assistance to the church at Jerusalem, which had fallen on hard times. Notice that there are two ways to give: one is to give out of a generous heart, and the other way to give is out of duty or obligation. Paul wanted them to give out of the former. That is the attitude we should have as well: give out of a happy, benevolent, and generous heart to assist those who need it.

How tightly are you holding on to what God has entrusted to you? If you hold tightly what is yours, it will be painful when God pries open your hands so you give and help others. However, when you hold loosely and are always ready and happy to be generous, then there is no pain at all, only a sense of joy and satisfaction.

Are your hands open or closed?

Podcast of the Week

10 Principles for Effective Living: Generosity

Pastor Danny focuses this episode on the principle of Generosity, tackling what it means to be a cheerful giver and how generosity benefits YOU just as much as those to whom you are generous.