When we hear the word âgenerosity,â it might spark a lot of thoughts and feelings inside us - money, guilt, wealth, pride, status, greed, or even stress. Generosity is usually meant to signify giving in a joyful way, and it doesnât just have to be about our money - whether thatâs giving your time by offering to babysit for free, your resources by loaning someone a book or a dress, or your knowledge by being a mentor - the truth is that when the Bible talks about generosity, it has less to do with finances and more to do with your heart. Check out 3 ways that the Bible talks about generosity and why itâs important.
1. God is generous to us so we can be generous to others
Maybe youâve never thought about God as being generous - but the Bible tells us that God was so generous that he gave his only son for us. John 3:16 says, âFor this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.â
But the generosity shouldnât stop there. God is happy when we decide to be generous, too. Hebrews 13:16 reads âAnd donât forget to do good and share with those in need. These are sacrifices that please God.â When God blesses us - financially or otherwise - he doesnât want us to keep those blessings to ourselves. We can be generous with what weâve been given because the truth is that it all comes from God and belongs to him (Romans 11:36), and when we decide to live generously, weâre doing so in the name of Jesus and for his glory (Matthew 5:16).
2. Generosity liberates us from the love of money
Youâve probably heard the phrase âMoney is the root of all evilâ - but that statement is actually misquoted from the Bible itself. The real verse reads, âFor the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefsâ (1 Timothy 6:10). Itâs not money thatâs evil - itâs when we start to love money more than we love others, and more than we love God (Matthew 6:24). Generosity combats the love of money - when weâre being generous with what we have financially, thereâs no room in our hearts to be stingy and hold on tightly to what weâve been blessed with.
Living generously also gives us the chance to experience true wealth - what Timothy refers to as âtrue godliness with contentment.â (1 Timothy 6:6). When we set ourselves up to be content with what we have, we donât have a problem being generous, and we wonât find ourselves struggling with the love of money.
3. Generosity changes our hearts
As hard as it can be to give joyfully sometimes, we all know that it feels good to be generous and give to others - thereâs nothing like that warm feeling when someone opens a present that you picked out just for them, or you experience gratefulness from a friend after offering your time or services as a gift. Acts 20:35 tells us, âAnd I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: âIt is more blessed to give than to receive.ââ
When we choose to be generous, weâre choosing to think about others before ourselves and flip our perspective of wealth - not just here on earth, but eternally, too. Being generous with the gifts that God has given us helps us to focus not just on what we have, but what we have to give away. Because if weâre followers of Jesus, we know that this world is not our home and weâre not taking anything with us when he comes back. Matthew 6:19-21 reminds us, âDonât store up treasures on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.â
There are unlimited ways to be generous with what you have - whether itâs your time, your resources, your gifts and talents, or your finances. Learn more about giving and generosity at LCBCchurch.com/Give.