Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38

In a church setting a few years back, Patrina and I were asked to share some brief comments regarding our personal experience with generosity. I think we can sum it up as a process of a growing obedience toward the joy of giving to others while understanding God’s great faithfulness along the way.

We were brought up to follow the principles of tithing, but it is all too easy sometimes to limit our generosity by simply doing the minimum, checking a box – I wrote my check to the church. Done. 

But consider the promise made by Jesus above as well as this part of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth –

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 made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7

Instead, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians,  we should learn to give out of more than obligation, but out of a desire to be generous toward God and others. So, we are grateful for the opportunities to give to other ministries and give of both our time and resources. We’ve been able to invest in the lives of other people and families in a variety of ways and we can still grow so much in terms of generosity.

Sometimes it helps to remember a specific occasion, so first think of the best gift you have ever received. Then, think of the joy you experienced when giving a meaningful gift to someone else. Now, remember the words of Christ, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”(Acts 20: 35).