Living with Intentional Generosity

When someone mentions generosity, how many of us think about money? When I think of generosity, I think, “Oh I’ve got a $100, so I’ll give 20 of it away. I need to tithe.”

In reality, I think money is one of the lesser forms of generosity. Don’t get me wrong! It’s very important, but I think most people, particularly in America, have enough money but not enough love and attention. For most Americans, true poverty is rarely something we experience, but we don’t have enough of people caring and imparting time and energy into our lives.

In my opinion, generosity is more giving your life away to somebody than it is giving your money. The money is often a part of caring for others holistically, but it isn’t everything. Christ said, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38, ESV), and Paul wrote to the early church, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

It’s important to be intentional about generosity. Normally, we wait for a generous moment to come to us, but we should become initiators of generosity. We shouldn’t be waiting for somebody to say, “Hey, I really need your help. Could you do this for me?” We should preemptively be looking for opportunities. “How can I serve? What can I do for you today? I want to be generous with my time and resources by loving on somebody.”

So be intentional about generosity. Study your own heart. Submit your desires to God and ask for him to help you live generously. After that, rest in the knowledge that God promises to transform our hearts to be able to obey his commands. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV).