Principles of generosity from Crown Financial

			December 2009
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		The principle of Generosity By Chuck Thompson MONEY MATTERS EDITOR & Jim Armstrong MANAGER OF CONTENT RESEARCH, WRITING, AND INTEGRITY When God taught us to give, He made Himself the ultimate example. Philippians 2:7-8 says that Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (ESV). Our Lord gave us the ultimate gift: Himself. And, He gave that gift willingly. In John 10:18 Jesus said regarding his life, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (ESV). Christians have much to be thankful for, and every reason to be generous. As King David said to God, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!” (1 Chronicles 29:14 NLT). Our giving is a reflection of God’s generosity to us. It’s an intentional plan by which we organize our lives. As part of that plan, here are five practical expressions of generosity that will allow God’s love and goodness to flow through you to others. 1. Establish the tithe as an expression of giving to God from the first of all you receive. The word tithe means tenth, and when you give back to God, you acknowledge His Lordship over every aspect of your life. This tangible act of your grateful heart is the foundation of generosity. In other words, it should never be considered a cap on your giving but a starting point. Examples of tithing appear early in the Bible. The first occurs when Abraham met Melchizedek, who was “a priest of God Most High,” and gave him one-tenth of all the goods he had recovered in battle (Genesis 14:17-20 NLT). The second occurs just 14 chapters later, when Jacob promised to give back to God one-tenth of all that God would give to him (Genesis 28:20-22). Later, God included tithing in Israel’s Mosaic Law, and in the book of Malachi, He tells the Jews to test Him regarding the tithe. “ ‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows’ ” (Malachi 3:10 NASB). 2. Respond to God’s promptings to give from obedience. Obedience is the fruit of a relationship of trust between you and God. Abraham is an example of this trust. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (ESV). Crown cofounder Larry Burkett noted that Christians “who share as God commands receive the blessings of the Lord and the great harvest promised in Scripture.”1  In 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul wrote,“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (NASB). Regarding this verse, Larry noted three promises: • God will make all grace abound in each one of us; • We will always have sufficiency for our needs; and • We will have an abundance for other good deeds.2 3. Get personally involved sharing time and talents. Money can never heal a broken spirit, cheer a grieving heart, or grow a relationship of love. But, a touch, a word, and a gracious act are valuable things that belong to God just as surely as your money. God dispenses them through you when and where, and to whom, He pleases. In his book, LifeFocus, Jerry Foster tells of a man named Jack, who coached his son’s youth basketball teams and organized and participated in basketball teams at his church. Recently Jack also bought season tickets for the college team in his town, and he enjoys taking other guys to the games with him.3 Foster also shares the story of Della, a craftsperson, whose “greatest joy is teaching crafts classes to small groups of women in her church and community and seeing others awaken their artistic skills.”4 4. Develop a systematic plan to cheerfully share from your abundance. Regardless of your individual financial state, you have some degree of abundance that can be shared. However, in God’s Economy, your good intentions only go as far as your faithful execution of them. Giving requires a plan and diligence in carrying out that plan. An example of this can be found in Paul’s instructions regarding a collection for the Christians in Jerusalem and the delivery of that collection. “On the first day of the week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. And if it seems appropriate for me to go along, they can travel with me” (1 Corinthians 16:2-4 NLT). 5. Share sacrificially when called to do so. Ephesians 2:4-7 says that “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (NASB). In light of this, when you keep in mind the sacrificial love of God through Jesus, giving to others in His name—no matter the cost—results in joy. So, watch for sacrificial opportunities to become more closely conformed to His image through being generous!