GENEROSITY

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” - Acts 20:35

The holiday season is a time for giving. Television and radio commercials target consumers with gift-giving ideas. Mail boxes are filled with unsolicited mail from mail-order businesses, enticing us to purchase from them. Then there are non-profit organizations that concentrate on fund raising during this season of giving.

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give then to receive.” Ironically, this verse is not recorded in the four Gospels, but quoted by Paul in the book of Acts. We tend to quote this verse, especially at this time of year. But do you know that giving is not meant to be a once-a-year event? As Christians, we are called to be generous people.

Sadly, some of the stingiest people on earth are professing Christians. We claim to be recipients of grace, but tend to show so little grace to others. God has lavishly poured out His grace upon us. He has been, and continues to be, very generous with us. Why, then, aren't we more generous? If there is one group of people on earth that is generous, it should be Christians. But instead, Christians give the very least required, whether at church or a tip at a restaurant. We need to be generous people. The holidays are a good time to be generous, but why should it be the only time?

Let me make something perfectly clear. Generosity has less to do with money than it does your heart. You don't have to have money to be generous, you just need to have a generous heart. When the widow cast her two mites into the treasury, Jesus commended her generosity. Two mites probably didn't seem like much to the disciples, but Jesus knew that she was giving all she had. Jesus knew she was a generous woman.

Generosity comes from a loving, grateful heart. Stinginess is a reflection of an uncaring, ungrateful heart. Which really describes you?

Many try manipulation tactics to motivate people to give. I am strongly opposed to manipulation, either by a pastor or TV “minister.” Furthermore, a Christian shouldn't need to be motivated externally, he should have an internal motivation to give.

Generosity covers a broader area than just money. Generosity includes giving yourself to others. When Peter and John were going to the temple at the hour of prayer, they encountered a lame man who was begging for a financial gift. Peter looked at the man and said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” The lame man was seeking money but ended up receiving more than money could buy, all because of two generous Christians.

Our Lord modeled generosity to us. Paul wrote, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Jesus gave freely of His time for the needy around Him. He washed His disciples feet as a servant would. He gave His life freely for us upon the cross --- the ultimate gift of all.

Now we are called to emulate our Lord. We should be generous people, caring for those around us in a very tangible way. John wrote, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

We should be generous people, simply because of love and gratitude. But there is a promise from our Lord, “It is more blessed to give then to receive.” We are blessed ourselves when we bless others through our generosity. Sometimes that blessing comes to us here on earth. Also, I believe there are blessings awaiting us in heaven because of our giving.

Whether you are giving of your time, talents or treasures, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Live with a loving heart and open hands. If your hands are open to give to others, they are also open to receive from the Lord.

We are stewards of the items God has entrusted us with. Invest your life in the things that matter most. Don't be selfish and try to hoard everything for your private, selfish pleasure. A water supply must be kept fresh so that it will be fit to drink. In order for a water supply to be kept fresh, water must be used and then replaced with fresh, clean, treated water on a regular basis. The same is true of our lives. If we wish to live fresh, revived lives, we must give of what we have so that we may be replenished.

It is more blessed to give than to receive.