Generosity can transform the world. It starts by changing the “giver” and then moves outward to bless others. I want to learn to be a more generous person. Care to join me?
Regardless of your income, if you live in America or most parts of the “western world”, you are living as, and among, some of the wealthiest people in human history. We have access to resources to such a degree that we barely notice anymore.
Generosity Flows From Your Heart,
Not From Your Wallet or Purse
My times spent in Sudan and Sierra Leone with some of this world’s poorest people showed me that generosity is a heart issue. These dear people who literally had almost nothing (seriously!) were always quick to share their lives, their tea, the little bit of food they had, a Coca-Cola that had been buried in the ground for months for a “special visitor”.
Living in the harshest and leanest of conditions, these lovely saints believed that God had abundantly blessed them. They saw their life, their families, and most of all, their salvation in Christ, as their riches. And they were quick to share.
That’s how I want to live too.
7 Ways to Live as a More Generous Person
Start being more generous with your…
- Gratefulness Out of your abundance, and how you perceive it, your generosity will flow. Stop often to count the blessings in your life, and then be generous to share that gratefulness with others. Let people know that you recognize the true wealth you’ve been given. It’s hard to be stingy when we rehearse our thankfulness. Out of the overflow of our hearts the mouth speaks…
- Words Be generous with the words you speak to others. Are your words life-giving? Do you tend to complain more than you praise or thank? Compliment your spouse our kids and those you work with for anything good you see in them or catch them doing.
- Time A completely finite commodity, time spent with someone is probably the greatest act of generosity we can share. When we take time to listen, ask good questions and just “be” with someone, we model the love and life of Jesus. Sharing our time has great heart benefits for us too as it causes us to slow down and ‘notice’.
- Story When you share your story you are being generous with your self. Letting others know the good and hard times in your life let’s them know they are not alone. Being open and honest about your shortcomings and failures let’s others know you are safe to be around, so they can be themselves. [clickToTweet tweet=”When you share your story you are being generous with your self.” quote=”When you share your story you are being generous with your self.”]
- Possessions People are more important than stuff. I often forget this! How quick are you to lend a tool, loan your car or give something you love to another person? Everything we have in life was ultimately given to us by God. That makes them all tools in our “blessed to be a blessing” toolbox. Love people more than stuff. You can replace stuff–not people.
- Home Opening your home to people on a regular basis, as if “my house is your house”, shows that you value them and see them as family. Your house is not your sanctuary–Jesus is! You get to share your home with others with the generosity that God has shown you.
- Money Generosity isn’t (as we’ve seen) all about money. But money is one of the resources God has given us to bless others and show them what He is truly like.
So Easy To Start…
Tip your waiter or barista generously. Pick up the tab at dinner. Buy a round. Sponsor a child in a poor country. Pay someone’s rent or car payment for them during a tough time. You may even consider starting to add GENEROSITY as a line-item in your monthly home budget. Crazy…right?! Then you can look for ways to be financially generous throughout each month, as a lifestyle.
Generosity truly flows from our heart’s deeper understanding of how abundantly God has blessed us. His most generous act was when he sent his own son, Jesus, to come to rescue and restore us to a right relationship with himself.
Take time today to actually write out the things in your life that you are grateful for. It could be a long list! Then pray and ask God to show you with whom, and how, he would have you generously share those blessings today.
The next best time to start living out of the generosity that we have been shown by God is now. Be sure to share this with someone you love and subscribe to this channel before you go.
Question: In your experience, what prevents you from being more generous than you currently are? Leave me your comments below
