Generosity Flows from a Faithful Heart

     How generous are you? Would you be challenged to hear that the level of our generosity matches our level of faith? We may think the correct correspondence is that our generosity matches our abilities or our financial security; however, I have found this rarely to be the case. I have found that those who have the least are often the most generous of all. Those who have all the trappings of success by the standards of our world appear to be more interested in maintaining that lavish or easy lifestyle. The level of our giving speaks more of our level of our believe that God will provide our needs than on the level of our bank account.

     As Christians, we are even commanded to be generous. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 says, “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.” This command was even more generous considering the law that every seventh year all debts were to be canceled – whether they were paid back or not. The scripture goes on to say that we should not withhold our generosity simply because this ‘seventh year’ was near. Verse 10-11 adds, “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” 

    Generosity doesn’t just line up with God’s Word, it fulfills it. It is God’s lavish generosity of salvation that gives us hope. It is His unmerited generosity of love and forgiveness, grace and mercy, that fills our lives with joy and peace. When we walk in generosity, not only are we being like our Heavenly Father, but we are declaring our trust in His ability to provide… even if the one we are giving to can never repay us. Our provider is God, and He knows exactly what we need. So, give generously because the one who sees all things will reward all things done in His name and done with humble and sincere love.

(Written by Keegan Harkins.)