The Generous Christian
The generous christian is the appropriate response to the generous God. And it is such that the Lord delights in prospering.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
Generous: Showing a readiness to give more of something, especially money, than is strictly necessary or expected.
There is a direct link between generosity and prosperity.
One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
Proverbs 11:24
The above mirror defines biblical generosity as giving freely. This is often where we have gone wrong in our linking giving and prosperity. Our giving has not been done freely.
So what exactly does it mean to give freely?
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
2 Corinthians 8:12
I remember an incident that took place while I was at university. At the time, I was attending a church that is very big on teaching wealth and prosperity. During one of the services, we were told to stand up as a sign of commitment of the amount of money we were going to give to God within a specified period of time. The first lot to stand up were pledging KES. 500,000. A few people stood up. The amounts being pledged dropped, to give everyone a chance to pledge, and I knew that if I wanted to partake of the great financial blessing that was being promised I had to work up my faith and pledge something. I pledged KES. 10,000 (approx. USD 100) which was a lot for me – considering my only source of income was the weekly pocket money I received from my mother. Needless to say I did not fulfill the pledge. A few weeks later the message was on the dire consequences that befall those who do not fulfill their vows and I left the church in shame and fear. Ashamed that I did not have enough faith to meet my pledge and afraid of the financial curses that were to befall on me.
Looking back, I now see that this is NOT the type of giving God accepts. Why? Because it is not free giving. Secondly, I was not really ‘willing’ to give. I was trying to buy God’s blessings. And thirdly I was not giving according to what I had. This type of giving does NOT lead to prosperity.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
After that incident, I vowed never to make a pledge again. But my giving lessons did not end there. Once again I found myself compelled to give. There was an anointing for wealth being released and we were instructed not to come to the altar empty handed, but to package a gift. And not just any gift, but a gift that was sacrificial. At this time, I was going through one of the many money lessons that only experience can teach (i.e. I was B-R-O-K-E). I had barely managed to give my normal offering and now here God was asking me for what I did not have…and if I didn’t give, He would disqualify me from receiving His anointing. I was so distressed. I managed to scrap together some coins, presented them to God and received my ‘anointing’. Needless to say, the joy of giving was a stranger to me.
It is said that hindsight is the best sight. And looking back, I know that God would never put His anointing for sale.
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
Acts 8:20
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Luke 11:13
I see that my giving was not out of generosity at all. It was out of compulsion, it was given reluctantly and foolishly. I was “buying” His anointing with a few coins! How much can you cost His anointing?
Sadly, this is how many of us, who have been students of the prosperity gospel give. We do not give out of the generosity of our hearts. We give transactionally and we twist Scripture to justify this type of wrong giving.
We carry out financial transactions with God. We tell Him we will give Him ‘X’ amount of money in exchange for ‘X hundredfold’. But the Scripture is clear, it is generous giving that is rewarded.
Your Turn
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously […] And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Generosity is of man’s heart, not of man’s pocket. Generosity is not seen in the amount one gives, but in their willingness to give. A generous heart will be generous in good works, irrespective of the bank account balance.
A generous heart attracts God’s blessings.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occassion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11
Are you a generous christian?