The practice of Generosity is freely and gracefully offering who we are and what we have to others.
“Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Ways to Practice
- List the ways God has been generous to you. Thank God! Make a list of your past, current and/or planned generous responses to God’s gifts.
- Ask God to help you regularly answer the question, “Are you doing all God invites you to do with what God gives?”
- Help someone with a financial need.
- Give an offering that goes beyond your normal tithe.
- Increase the percentage of your income that you tithe.
- Share what God has given you – time, talent, resources, energy, experience.
- Choose not to do or buy something in order to free up time or funds to give to someone else.
What results might we expect?
- Freedom from greed, hoarding, self-indulgence
- Investing in the Kingdom – “storing your treasures in heaven”.
- Being a living example of God’s generosity
“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words if our expenditures on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving too little away. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.” C. S. Lewis
For more exploration of generosity:
https://www.leadershiptransformations.org/documents/2014.12.Silencio.Generosity.pdf