June 1, 2025 - How to Develop into a Generous Person

When we think of someone generous, we often think only about what they give financially, but true generosity is an attitude 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. How many realize that Jesus is the most generous person we will ever meet? So, how do we develop into becoming more generous and witness the amazing benefits of living 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 today living in our affluent society 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 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? Linda Belleville writes, "Paul is quick to point out that generous giving is an act of divine grace (8:1). It is only as God blesses and enables that we can give in the first place.” Paul, in writing to the Corinthian believers, reminds them of their original desire to help fellow believers who were struggling financially in Judea but became distracted during a time of divisiveness. After addressing those issues, Paul reminds them of what they originally intended to do on behalf of those struggling financially. Paul challenges them to express generosity to inspire them to become more concerned about others than themselves. Paul uses a number of examples to motivate them to become responsible and generous to those in need.