The Blessing of Generosity

Understanding the Joy of Giving

By Jennifer Devlin

“It’s better to give than to receive.” “You can’t outgive God.” “It’s a blessing to bless others.” Sound familiar? These phrases remind us that when we help someone, many times we feel more blessed than the person we’re helping. Our heavenly Father has a funny way of showering us with His love when He sees that we are following His heart and serving others with the love of Christ.

As we grow in our faith, our desire to show God’s love to others increases. This love is best expressed when we are serving, helping, caring, and meeting needs. Such generosity is expressed through giving money, resources, time, and energy—as well as using prayer and our spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Obviously, God wants us to be generous, but as we extend a helping hand, the Lord also blesses us for our actions. Let’s find out more about what the Bible says concerning giving and receiving.

Why we give:

• We act out of our own desire, not out of compulsion to work (2 Cor. 8:3; 9:6-7; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
• We desire to follow the will of God (2 Cor. 8:5).
• We are motivated by a sincere heart (2 Cor. 8:8).

What we give:

• We offer what we have (2 Cor. 8:12).
• We put our spiritual gifts into action (Rom. 12:6-8).
• We pray and show concern (James 5:16; Gal. 5:13-14).

What happens:

• We glorify God through our obedience to Him (2 Cor. 9:13).
• We meet the needs of others (Acts 20:35).
• We bless our enemies instead of cursing them (Rom. 12:17-21).

How God responds:

• His grace will abound in our lives (2 Cor. 9:8-9, 14).
• God blesses us for our obedience to Him (2 Cor. 9:10-11; Prov. 22:9).
• He balances out needs, helping those who have little by bringing them resources from those who have much (2 Cor. 8:13-15).

Questions for Reflection

1. Think of the ways you share your time, gifts, and resources. How could you give more in these areas?

2. As you’ve grown in your walk with the Lord, how has your giving increased and/or changed? Why?