Generosity: A Quality, Not a Quantity
“Generosity” is a word that carries much more meaning than we often realize.
We were created by a generous and loving God, who created us in His own image… which means that we are also called to be generous and loving to those around us. Generosity is about so much more than giving our money, though. Generosity is a way of life that, when lived out daily, affects everything we do.
God doesn’t care about how much we give in life as much as he cares about our motivation behind it. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that “each person should do as he has decided in his heart— not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver” (CSB). Whatever we give, God wants us to give it cheerfully. Being generous is a quality, not a quantity.
When we share what we have and give it to others cheerfully, we multiply God’s love. When we generously share our time with others, we make them feel important. When we generously share a listening ear, we can better understand. And when we generously share forgiveness, we can make room for God’s healing peace.
Being generous isn’t always easy, though. We might find it hard to share good things with people who aren’t kind to us, or to share our time when we feel like we have none to spare. We might even feel discouraged to give financial gifts when we feel like the little bit we have won’t make a difference. But when we dig deep and share whatever we can, we have the power to make some real change. Sharing good things will breed kindness. Sharing precious time will create the moments that matter to us. Sharing even a little bit financially will make a collective difference with the gifts of others. And sharing all of this cheerfully will point others back to God, our creator, who is the ultimate giver. It is because of His goodness, after all, that we have so many blessings in our lives. Why would we not want to multiply them by sharing generously with others?
Today, pay a little extra attention to those around you and figure out what you can generously share with them. Whatever it may be, give it cheerfully, and watch the difference that your generosity can make.
Generous and loving God, thank you for the many blessings that you have given me. Today, help me identify what I can share with others, and give me the courage to share it generously and cheerfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
