“Just as you excel in the everything else…in faith in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness…see that you also excel in the grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
We believe that learning how to be generous is more important than giving. We can be inspired to give or guilted to give, but generosity is a lifestyle. God desires us to become courageously generous people. At Springbrook, creating disciples who make disciples, includes teaching, modeling, and creating opportunities for everyone to learn to become a generous person.
Luke 12:13-48 informs, inspires, and teaches us about a generous lifestyle:
- We don’t feel rich, but we are. We feel generous but we aren’t.
- Giving and being courageously generous are not the same. Generous people do not need to be convinced to be generous.
- Wealthy people are rich but not necessarily generous. Courageously generous people live generously regardless of their wealth.
- If we live a generous life, authentic happiness is the result.
- Everyone gives, but few are generous.
- Most financial anxiety is because we want what we can’t get, rather than needing what we don’t have.
- Generous people do not assume their resources are theirs to consume. Just because it comes to me doesn’t mean its for me. Truly generous people think like managers, not owners.
- The cycle of making more money and believing it can bring satisfaction, can only be broken by generosity.
- Money is not the real problem. Self-control, contentment, and discipline are the spiritual issues that keep us from being courageously generous. We too often place our trust in riches, rather than the One who richly provides.
- We must choose to order our life around generosity rather than consuming.
We believe the right attitude towards generosity is centered on this four attitudes:
- Give willingly
“For if the willingness is there, your gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.” 2 Corinthians 9:12
- Give cheerfully
“For God loves a cheerful giver!” 2 Corinthians 9:7
- Give generously
“They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service…” 2 Corinthians 8:3-4
- Give expectantly
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows generously will reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6