Posted in: Big Faith, Generosity 11.29.18 ( Jennifer Elrod ) Why Should I Be Generous? Outside of our initial words of “mama” or “dada” as an infant, one of the most memorable words is “mine”. Our human and worldly nature is bred from a nature of “mine” early in our existence, even if we weren’t taught selfishness. Sharing is one of the hardest lessons for a child to learn and it seems to carry on into adulthood. We want to hold onto everything we believe to be ours, but giving away not just our money, but our time, talents, food, and possessions allows us to create a spirit and heart of generosity.Here are five reasons why I should be generous:Generosity is about giving more than required. God loved us from the moment we entered our mother’s womb. And He sacrificed His one and only son. Generosity often requires sacrifice and is bred out of love. When you love someone or something, you give.Generosity softens our hearts. Have you ever made a sacrifice of time or donation and your outlook or life was changed because of it? I grew up in a very rigid and prejudiced home with views that didn’t match what I was learning from the Bible. I spent a summer living in the inner-city during college. I sacrificed my summer plans of being tan and relaxing for raising money and living in the poorest city in the United States serving at an after school program. It was a complete sacrifice. My emotional and prejudiced walls were shattered as I saw people through a Christ-like lens and it changed the trajectory of my life. During that time in college, a seed for reconciliation was planted and flourished into being a host for racial reconciliation and walking with others on their own journey through understanding racism and prejudice.Generosity brings us into deeper relationship with God. As we invite the Holy Spirit into our giving (time, money, or otherwise) we are drawn closer to Him. Have you heard the prayer for God to break our hearts for what breaks His? Understanding the heart of God through giving to his people draws you into deeper relationship with him.Generosity is from an overflowing of thankfulness. We reach a place where we begin to be so thankful for all that we have, all that we have been given from time, money, and other resources. I have extra measures of God’s faithfulness, so I pour out my overflow. I remember in college after I was laid off, and I was given all this extra time. I found myself in the outreach office of CCV and fell in love with serving, which led to serving on my first missions trip out of the country. I poured hours upon hours into spreadsheets and organizing volunteers for the holidays. I was so thankful to have free time that it allowed me to give back, where my previous job kept me so busy that my schedule was always full with other things.Generosity leads to joy. The bible talks about being a “cheerful giver”. The more you give, the more joy that comes. The true gift of giving comes out of not anticipating anything in return. It’s like anxiously awaiting a child to receive a bicycle at Christmas, you are just as elated watching the child open their gift as they are receiving it.I pray that you learn how to give generously of your time, gifts, and finances and you begin to say “yes” to where God is leading.The journey begins by saying YES! SHARE Enjoy the post?Why not share with your friends. This blog post has been posted in: Big Faith, Generosity SHARE YOUR STORY We love to hear how God is working in your life. Click on the link below to share your story! Share Your Story About the Author Jennifer has been a part of the ONE&ALL Community for over ten years. She has a Master of Arts in Management and currently works as a tax consultant. In her free time, she loves reading Colleen Hoover books, teaching about food justice & racial reconciliation, drinking really good coffee, writing Yelp reviews, and traveling. She loves to laugh, has a huge heart for serving others, and is obsessed with reality television.
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