Proverbs 21:26

Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!

Longing for more money and possessions is a terrible disease, but our materialistic society is built on the assumption that that is how we should all live. Long ago the Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote: “Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little.” And yet the place of true peace and contentment is where you know you have enough, and have no desire to find more. The apostle Paul said that he had “learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything” (Philippians 4:11-12).

God’s desire for us is that our focus should never be upon seeking to acquire more, but to become better at giving. I love seeing generosity and I hope that I am always learning from the example of other people. I have a friend who always carries a significant number of bank notes with him. He once explained to me why: “You never know when the Lord might give you the opportunity to bless another person.” I love that! He not only has a generous heart but has the money in the right place to be able to act.

Of course, generosity isn’t all about money. But the way in which we use our money will often reveal what is going on in our hearts. God calls us to be generous with our time, our talents, our possessions and our futures. Generosity is the calling of every Christian because God is generous and he wants us to reflect his nature. When the apostle Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthian church, he encouraged them to give generously to support those suffering from famine in Jerusalem. He reminded them of the principle of the harvest. He wrote: “God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11).

Living generously is the most exciting way to live. It may or may not involve money, but we can be sure that God will always make it possible for us to be generous.

Question

In what ways can you be generous today?

Prayer

Loving Father, thank you for the incredible generosity that you have always shown to me. Help me to live more generously as I get to know you better. Amen