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This week's focus: Generosity

A man approached his Pastor and shared his concern regarding giving. “When I first began attending this church, I made $500 a week and had no problem being generous with a tenth of my income; I enjoyed placing $50 in the offering basket each week. However, my business has taken off since then, and I’m now making $5,000 a week. I’m struggling to give $500 weekly—that seems too much.” Without hesitation, the wise Pastor bowed his head and prayed, “Heavenly Father, we ask that You would return the joy of giving to Your child and allow him only to make $500 a week.”

The Pastor’s prayer reminds us that God is concerned with the attitude of our hearts when we give. Psalm 50:12 says that God already owns everything when He says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.” Since this is the case, we choose if we will be generous with what already belongs to God or hold on tightly to our detriment. Money and what we do with it indicates where our trust lies.

Ironically, God asks us to give so that He can, in turn, outgive us. “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (Malachi 3:10). What a generous God we serve!

Jesus modeled extreme generosity when He gave more than money; He gave His life to people who did not deserve it and could never repay Him (see Romans 5:8). God the Father revealed His generous heart when He gave His only Son so that we can be eternally blessed.

As His children, we should be the most unselfish people on the planet and look for opportunities to give. May we never wander away from the joy found in giving.

by: Jennifer McAlister for My Faith Votes