Cultivating the Joy of Generosity

Key Principles:

1. Giving Brings Joy - "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:19). Your life becomes joyful, fulfilling, and purposeful as you live in God's calling. Joy is experienced in the act of giving, but even more so in the alignment of your heart with God's will. Generosity enables you to live in the joy of a "life that is truly life."
2. Giving Is A Heart Issue - "Where your treasure is there is your heart also" (Matthew 6:21). Clearly giving releases resources. Yet, while the resources liberated through acts of generosity are a blessing, they are literally a "by-product" of the transformational power of generosity within the giver's heart. The true message of giving is the "liberation of hearts." Randy Alcorn in The Treasure Principle states, "My heart goes where I put God's money." Giving is not only an indication of where your heart is, but it is also a means of moving your heart toward God.
3. God Gave First - "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son ..." (John 3:16). God is the ultimate model for giving. He is the most generous of all givers. Examine 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. God's grace and blessing are given so that we can be generous. God's gift of Jesus Christ was the highest demonstration of unconditional generosity. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
4. Seek First The Kingdom Of God - "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). In Matthew 6:24, Jesus reminds us "...you cannot serve both God and money." In Matthew 6:25, He adds, "Do not worry about your life." For many of us, the primary competitor for Lordship in our lives is money. We might even re-frame it as security rather than materialism, as we hold on to our fears and try to rationalize ways we may have managed our money in the past. How is your life different when Jesus is Lord versus when money is lord?
5. God Owns It All - "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1). It is not our own money, our own wealth, our own possessions, or our own assets, but instead, it all belongs to God! We are God's money managers.
6. Heaven, Not Earth, Is My Home - "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). Life is short. Eternity is long. My home is in Heaven. Why should I invest so much time, energy, and resources in what is so short? Why should I focus on my (or even my children's) very temporary life here on earth, when Heaven is real, is coming, and is calling? Spending money here is not wrong, but is it always the best option? A life of generosity means the opportunity to draw closer to God, now, and in eternity. It means joy, a fulfilled heart, and the potential to store up treasures in Heaven. God invites each of us to experience His joy through the act of giving ... not giving because we have to give, but giving because we get to do so.