Today’s Devotional: Practicing Generosity
If you’re like most people, whenever your income increases you start dreaming about the possibilities that that new cash opens up to you. Oftentimes—and I’m very guilt of this—those possibilities are of the “fun toys” variety. Giving it away barely crosses my mind, but as Joe Stowell argues in this devotional from Strength for the Journey, giving should be our first thought.
His main point is that if we don’t practice giving when financial times are tough, we’ll find it to be much harder to give when we’re prosperous:
Often our seasons of financial prosperity draw our attention to bigger homes, bigger cars, bigger mutual funds, and bigger TVs, rather than to bigger opportunities for advancing the cause of Christ. The lure of more is highly seductive. Giving to Gods work is not a habit that starts when were experiencing material success. Its a habit best cultivated and nurtured in seasons of depending on God through lean times.
Paul points that fact out [in 2 Corinthians: 8] when, speaking of the Macedonian churchs generosity, he writes, Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2). Which all goes to prove that an attitude of joyful generosity starts now, right where you are, with whatever you have. What a joy it is to be addicted to proving that God and His work is worthy of the very best that we have—regardless of how much that might be!
And, speaking of being rich, viewed from a global perspective even the poorest of us have much more than most people do in this world. For reasons best known to God, Christians in our corner of the world have staggering resources by comparison. Which gives us an unusual opportunity to use our wealth to abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).
Do you practice disciplined giving? What are some ways you could start practicing generosity?
Thanks for this. We don’t have to have a lot of money to have stingy hearts.
I love this passage so much (2 Cor. 8) and I have been meditating on it for the last few weeks, esp. v. 3-4. “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, BEGGING US EARNESTLY for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints”. Participating in the gospel through giving is such a PRIVILEGE!