April 12 - How to Develop a Heart of Generosity - Pastor Paul Vallee

When we think of someone who is generous, we often think only in terms of what they give financially, but the reality is that true generosity is an attitude that is reflected in how a person treats others. Giving money is only one aspect of true generosity. Generosity is the giving of oneself for the good of others, which includes our time, our concern for others, our expertise, and above all, our prayers. The issue in our lives is the person we become. The goal of the Christian life is to become like Jesus. So, how do we cultivate greater generosity in our lives and witness the amazing benefits of a generous lifestyle? We know that we can only give what God has given to us. What God looks at is the condition of our hearts. Many people in our affluent society today struggle with the two major ingredients of life: money and time. We often abuse both. We spend more than we have and use our time unwisely. How we spend these gifts from God is a great indicator of where we are in our relationship with Him. Have we learned to really trust God in our lives? Do we believe that God will provide for us? Is our focus primarily on ourselves, or have we matured to a point where we are deeply interested in the well-being of others? The very nature of biblical Christianity is giving. So, how do we become more generous with our lives? How do we develop into being more generous people? Paul gives us two reasons in the first 15 verses of 2 Corinthians 8 for becoming generous.