Too many Christians falsely believe
So the assumption is if we’re truly following Jesus, fruit happens. Obviously we’ve not thought this idea through: Exactly how are we following Jesus when we’re not deliberately behaving in ways that’ll grow fruit? Passively? Is anyone meant to follow Jesus passively? (Spoiler: No.)
If we’re gonna grow in love, we gotta love others, particularly unloveable people. If we’re gonna develop patience, we gotta be patient despite suffering in minor or major ways. (Which is why I hate developing patience.) And if we’re gonna develop generosity, we have to give.
And since Americans are so very very
But stinginess is
Ephesians 5.5-7 KJV - 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Coveting wealth means you’ve made an idol of it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. God’s gonna judge those who were covetous instead of generous; don’t lump yourself in with them. The stakes really are that high.
So like I said, the way we develop
Give up your position.
It may not be so obvious to many people, but generosity isn’t just about giving away money. And no, I don’t say this
It starts with something as simple as courtesy. Stop trying to be first. Stop insisting upon having the last word. Let others go ahead of you in line. Hold open doors. Hold the elevator. Offer to help. Go the extra mile.
Oh, you do this already? Great! Now keep doing it… when you’re in a hurry. When you’re pressed for time. When the kids are acting up and you just wanna get out of there. When everybody around you is just the rudest, and you feel wholly justified in not just telling them off, but whipping out your umbrella and caning them with it. When you’re pretty sure your patience is hanging on by a hair, keep being courteous.
Yeah, courtesy’s a little thing. But it makes a huge difference to people who don’t encounter enough grace in their lives. For other people whose patience is hanging on by a hair, it helps a lot. And yeah, there are gonna be self-centered people who never notice your kindness, but never use them as an excuse for unkindness. You do what’s right.
If you’re in a position of entitlement, power, advantage, or supremacy, lower yourself. Be like Jesus:
Philippians 2.3-8 KJV - 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
So if we’re in any position to help people in those predicaments, we absolutely should. And fix the systems of the world so they don’t crap all over people. We’re to use our position to uplift. Arguably that’s why God puts us in such positions
Give up your spare change.
Christians are
Don’t think, “Are you supposed to tip this person? I know you’re supposed to tip waiters, but do you tip the busboys?…” When in doubt, tip anyway. If they weren’t expecting it, they’ll be pleased. If they were expecting it, they won’t feel slighted because you erred on the side of stinginess.
Worried you can’t afford to tip all these people? Maybe you can’t. Maybe you need to stop going out to eat so often. Or maybe it just involves a little cautious budgeting: Instead of drinks and dessert, tip. Just be sure when you do go out, be generous.
And yes, tip beggars.
I’ve heard all the arguments: “They’re just gonna spend it on alcohol.” Or weed, or meth, or crack. Fine. If you’re that worried about what beggars might waste money on, give them food. (Not leftovers or doggie bags; that’s nasty. Buy them a whole entree. Buy gift cards and hand ’em out instead of change.)
But don’t just ignore beggars, and pretend you have nothing in your pockets when they ask.
Give to charity. When you see the Salvation Army kettles outside the grocery store, give. When you see a school fundraiser selling brownies or raffle tickets, you don’t have to buy anything if you’d rather not; just give ’em a buck. (Or five, or ten, or more.) Stop clinging to that spare money as if you really needed an afternoon latté.
Give through your church.
If you really wanna make an impact in God’s kingdom, here’s a really fun activity: Get involved in your church as an invisible, behind-the-scenes benefactor.
First get in on your church’s benevolence ministry, or prayer team. Every time you find out someone in your church, or someone who’s contacted your church, has a need which you can actually do something about, secretly and privately do something about it:
- Someone can’t pay the utility bill? Pay it for them.
- Somebody’s short on groceries? Get ’em groceries.
- Someone’s looking for a job? Be their headhunter. Get ’em one.
- Someone’s kid really wants a particular toy for Christmas? You get the idea.
And like I said, do it secretly and privately. Don’t let ’em find out who gave them what they needed. Make it so they can’t thank anybody but God. That’s the whole point, y’know. “And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
Not every need involves money, of course. Some involve time: People need childcare, or someone to do a repair job, or a ride to another town, or people to help them move, or someone to mow the lawn. If you can give time, do that. If you have a useful skill set, give that. Give whatever God’s given you. It’s why he gave such things to you in the first place.
But as much as possible, hide your involvement. Sometimes that’s not really possible. Cleaning someone’s house for them, means they’re gonna catch you cleaning it. (Unless you break in and do it when they’re not around. Oh, and don’t do that. Not just because it’s creepy; in America they might shoot you.) If you can’t hide, don’t worry about it too much. Just tell them, when they ask what they can do for you, that you want ’em to pay it forward.
The idea is you don’t want grateful people to feel indebted to you. They’ll try to reciprocate, and that’s not the point;
Material needs and wants are always the easiest problems to solve. It’s truly ridiculous our churches so often consider ourselves unable to solve them. We’re not. The only reason we don’t is because the individual Christians in them, especially the wealthy ones, don’t even think to behave this way. They might give to charity, but forget the saying, “Charity begins at home.” Particularly one’s church home.
There’s your starting point.
Of course, as we put generosity into practice, we find lots more opportunities to give. There’s a lot of need in this world!
Thing is, if we’re generous, we also start to discover God gives us more resources. No, he doesn’t do as
You’ll also find generosity is way more fun than hoarding. Less messy too.
