GENEROSITY – WHO, WHAT, AND WHY

God has always been in the business of generous giving.  In fact, it is a journey He invites us to join Him in.  He gives freely with investment in mind.  Investments imply returns, and God’s hope is that we will extend the investments that He has made in us back into the kingdom.  This is the critical idea of kingdom returns.  People sometimes get confused and think that generous giving just has to do with our finances, but that is missing the point.  Generosity is about how we use all the resources in our lives, even our time.

GOD OWNS IT ALL

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 communicates a lot to us about how God views our stewardship of His giving.  The guy that buried his talents did not understand that God’s investments require a return.   The other guys were mindful.  They knew the owner of the money; they knew their master.  They knew what he was after, and they went after the same.  They pursued his pursuits.  God is after a kingdom return and has an expectation that you will take care of what He gives you.

In my own life, I rarely give without looking at what the Kingdom return will be.  I try to operate in a mindset of wisdom.  Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”  We all want to be the guy who gets much, but often the “much guy” forgets the fact that much is also expected of him in proportion to what God has given him.  He entrusts it to us, and we honor Him by giving back to His kingdom.  

This life is about producing with your gifts – not hoarding.  Hoarding results in zero growth of what you’ve been given, whether that be a talent or the things that derive from that talent.  God wants growth within His kingdom.  The gifts He gives are not separated between kingdom gifts and worldly gifts – what makes you successful in this world, whether it’s business, finance, etc. – those same gifts are the bedrock of what you’re able to contribute to God’s kingdom.

WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Early on in our marriage, Kathy (my wife) and I have wrestled for years about why we’ve been chosen to receive such incredible blessings.  We’ve contemplated why God has given us more than we needed.  Over time, we’ve come to realize: we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.

God honors those who honor Him.  He rewards His stewards.  Does this mean that only those who honor Him will prosper financially, and those who don’t won’t be successful?  Absolutely not.  What it means is that when you engage in generosity, the blessings that come back are overwhelming.  In my experience, if you dive in headfirst, you will be so wonderfully overwhelmed – not necessarily financially, but you will be blessed with something in your heart or other areas of your life.

God does not grade on a curve.  You cannot give with an expectation of being told “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  I am not sure I’ll hear that.  I have to do what I can do and pursue what think is the right balance.  When I do that, I really can live with no regrets.

Matthew 6:17-19 “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud, not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all that we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need. Always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will store up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

This verse has absolutely played out in my own life.  The first part of it is the toughest – not trusting in your wealth is a hard thing to do.  It’s truly unreliable, that’s for sure. It’s easier for me to trust God on things I can’t control.  It is more challenging to trust God on the things you can control.

GIVING REAPS JOY

How much joy does your giving give you?  This is a good measuring stick.  I’ve mentioned before, and I’ll mention again – giving is a journey.  Like most journeys, it is good to be on the journey.  I encourage everyone to enjoy the process, even at the times it doesn’t seem that enjoyable.

The verse in Matthew talks about storing up treasures in heaven, but actually, being generous pays a lot of dividends right here, right now, in the life we’re living and in heaven.

Giving from your heart is a great way to connect to giving with joy and with a cheerful spirit.  Some people seem to be more gifted in this area than others.  In my case, Kathy is a great encouragement.  She absolutely gives from her heart, while I tend to give from my brain.  I tend to look for the kingdom return, the leverage in the gift, the impact that it will give over time.  I look for ministries that are excellent stewards of the widow’s mite.  Giving from this perspective comes a lot from my brain, whereas Kathy senses the Holy Spirit encouraging generosity that she obeys fervently.

Generosity breeds generosity: the more you sow, the more you receive.  Experiencing the joy of giving causes you to be even more generous, which causes you to have more gifts coming back to you.  As you decide to give richly and you see what it does, God starts to change your heart.  Pressure can be found in many places – the offering plate, a charity function.   Do not give as a response to pressure, but with a cheerful heart.

Always be generous – and not just with money.  Give your time.  We all have the ability to be generous in our time.  We live in a fast-paced world, and when you step out and take a moment to help those in need, the recipient may question why you have done that for them.  This could be an opportunity that will lead them to God.

There is a responsibility to be a good steward in who you give to, and this is where wisdom comes in.  You need to be a good steward as you freely give. I have seen people give money away, and the money has not been used well.  Do your homework.  Be a responsible giver.  It’s a part of stewardship.

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO OUT-GIVE GOD

Once you get into this habit of radical generosity, God often provides for you so you can continue to be generous.  If you use the gifts He gives you wisely, God will entrust more to you.

A cheerful giver understands that this giving is not a burden, but a privilege. It puts your heart in the right place.  When you are giving cheerfully, you are trusting God to do something great with your gift. 

Conclusion

Over the years, Kathy and I have received many requests from friends and mentees to share information about the ministries Servant’s Heart foundation supports.  It has been important to us to choose organizations that we see being efficient and effective stewards of the resources they have been entrusted with.  It has been our honor to work closely with each ministry’s leadership and witness firsthand the great Kingdom impact they are having.  We are glad to share these organizations with you on the Servant’s Heart blog, found at https://www.servantsheartblog.org/

This post is the first in a three-part series on generosity.  In the next two posts we will discuss different levels of giving and how to incorporate wisdom into your decision-making.  I’ll provide a number of resources that will help you understand your options for maximizing the kingdom investments.  I look forward to growing with you!

If you’re new to the blog, we heartily welcome you.  My name is Paul Neff, and I have devoted the latter part of my life to mentoring younger men who desire to live further into God’s purpose for their lives.  This blog is an extension of my heart for helping others grow.  God has richly blessed me, and my hope for my life is that I could make good on the investment He has given me by offering something to the next generation of leaders.  

ACTION STEPS:

Read the verses mentioned in the post above and take some time to reflect on where your heart sits on the subjects of generosity and giving.  Ask yourself the following questions.  They may seem simple, but truly stopping to consider each one will produce dividends – I guarantee it.

• How much thought and intentionality has my family given to the subject of giving?

• Do I understand the concept of kingdom investments and do I affirm that it’s important?

• Is the thought of radical generosity something that gives me joy or fear?  Why is that?