Becoming a generous giver

By Pastor Tom Anderson

Some of the best teaching in the Bible on giving comes from 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

The point is this: 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. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

As Christian believers we know we should be generous in all things–even to the point of willingness to give our lives away in obedience to God and blessing to others. But have you ever taken the time to think about how God has been generous to us?

He formed us in the womb–we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. He inflated our lungs and gave us our first breath. He created the world and everything in it. I see his generosity each evening as I walk our puppy through the church yard: wild grapevines laden with fruit, rabbits, foxes and deer bounding across our lawns. The luminescent sky of a fading orange sunset. What a wonderful world it is.

At the moment of our salvation we receive additional gifts: the forgiveness of our sins, adoption into God’s family as his children, a place among his people and the hope of heaven to come. The Holy Spirit dwells in each believer–perhaps the greatest gift of all. He teaches us the truth of Jesus, gives us wisdom, moral guidance, reassurance, security and comfort in our mourning. None of us could ever deserve any of these things. They are the free gifts of God’s grace to us.

Thoughts of God’s generosity should inspire us to be generous toward Him in thankfulness. Our generosity should be guided by these truths:

We imitate Jesus when we give sacrificially.
We honor God when we obey his command to give. (Luke 6:38)
We extend God’s work through financial support of a Bible-believing church.

God sowed bountifully in us through creation and through our salvation. He reaps abundantly through the transformation the Holy Spirit works in our lives. The Holy Spirit transforms us into people who actually find pleasure in giving and practicing generosity. How much should you give? You should increase your giving to the point where you become cheerful about it. When a smile brightens your face as you open the Vanco mobile app to give–it's a sure sign the Holy Spirit has transformed you.