Being generous pays!

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?

Well, to the world, it is. But if you're a believer & know God, it's not. Let's talk about it.

The Bible has a lot to say about generosity, & there are so many ways to give other than money.

“…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So in this passage, we are told to give, in other words, be generous, & what we give (or sow), is the measure of our return.

But we’re also called to have the right motivation & attitude when giving. This isn’t a prosperity speech where we only give because we’re expecting a return. Rather, we give because we have ALREADY been given something that we can never repay.

Christ was so generous in giving His very life for us, so we should be generous with everything we have in order to honor Him, amen?

And when you give, whether it be money, time or talent, let your giving be relationship building.

So I want to challenge each of you today to adopt an attitude of generosity in response to the generosity of God & choose someone to be generous to within the next few days. And remember, it doesn’t have to cost money. Maybe if you’re mowing your lawn, mow your neighbors lawn too & so on & so forth.

And this verse settles the title of this message:

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

That says it all! And this can only be true if you trust God as your source for everything & walk in obedience regarding generosity/giving.

Anita & I are walking testimonies that God has always provided for us no matter how bad the situation looked. I know it's not easy to be generous & give when you yourself are hurting, but if God leads you to do it, you can surely trust that He'll still take care of all your needs.

Message summary:

Being generous/giving pays & it will cause a ripple effect where people "pay it forward."

If you enjoyed this message, please share the link, & if you haven't already, please subscribe to my blog from the home page. Thank you & God bless!