Give Generously

The offering plate passes by, and you watch others put in change and envelopes. Your school asks for volunteers to serve as tutors to the younger grades, and nobody raises their hands. A friend comes up to you after class, and you realize they asked you to pray for them two weeks ago, but you forgot. As Christians, what does giving generously look like in our everyday lives? Giving has always been an important characteristic of God’s people. All the way back in the book of Genesis, Abel gave God the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock, and God accepted Abel and his gift (Genesis 4:4). Then, later in the Old Testament, God called the Israelites to be generous in many ways, including to set aside one tenth of their agriculture and animal production (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). For Christians today, it isn’t as cut and dry as a simple 10%. Instead, these Old Testament passages show a general principle of giving our first and best to Godof making Him the center of how we use our money, time, and talents. Giving back to God is a way to show we trust Him to continue to provide. This will look different for everyone, but the principle is the same (2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving generously serves as a reminder that every blessing we have comes from God (James 1:17). God Himself is generous: He has given us Himself Jesus (John 3:16; 10:25-30). Without Jesus, we are sinners, so generosity doesn’t come naturally to us (Romans 3:23; 6:23). As Christians, we have the opportunity and power to be generous because we have God’s Holy Spirit working in us (Galatians 2:20). But what if we feel too young to give? In God’s kingdom, no one is too young, and no gift is too smallwhether that gift is money, talent, or time (Luke 21:1-4; 1 Timothy 4:12). Jesus has redeemed all of it. Because of what He has done, as Christians, we are free to glorify Him in everything we do, including in our giving (Colossians 3:17). Naomi Zylstra What questions do you have about giving? Who is a trusted Christian in your lifesuch as a pastor or a friendyou can bring those questions to? You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Proverbs 3:9; 2 Corinthiams 9:7-15