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Topic: Be Generous on Purpose
People who are not in the habit of being generous may have to force themselves to be generous for a period of time, but I can
assure you that after a while they will become addicted to it.
Make a decision to be more of a blessing to others, and start looking for opportunities. When you hear of a person in need, don’t think, “Somebody needs to help them,” without asking God if you’re the somebody He wants to use.
I love to give in a variety of ways, and I know many other people who feel the same way. We didn’t start out that way
but learned it by being in relationship with God and studying His Word. I was also affected by being with generous people
who became an example to me. Initially, I had to begin being generous on purpose, but eventually I started actually loving it.
My executive assistant says that she was one of the stingiest people alive, and she is now a radical, outrageous giver. She
says that the greatest and most life-changing lesson she has learned from my teachings is to give. To transition from being that stingy to now being very generous, she had to begin by doing acts of generosity on purpose.
Our children have told Dave and me that one of the best things we taught them was to give. Learn to be generous and
teach it to other people. If your spirit is agreeing with what you’re reading here about generosity but you know that you
are not a truly generous person, you can become one.
Pray and ask God to help, and then just start doing things for people until it becomes a habit.
Don’t think that you have to have a lot of money to be generous. Generosity can be practiced no matter how much or
little you have. If you share what you have with others freely, you are a generous person. You may share a meal, give a
helping hand, give hospitality by inviting others into your home, or you may give the gift of true friendship. I do like to give gifts
to people, but things are not the only or even the most important thing to give.
The main thing should be that we are letting an abundance of good things flow out from us to others. Greed frightens me
because I believe it can easily take hold of anyone if they don’t fight against it.
When God begins to bless us, the last thing we should do is get greedy. When blessings flow to us, that is the time to press in to being a blessing to others more than ever.
I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
Genesis 12:2
God told Abraham that He intended to abundantly bless him, but the promise came with an instruction to be a blessing
to others. If we become “keepers” of all that comes to us and we don’t let it flow through us, we become like stopped-up
wells. We have what is necessary to help people, but we refuse to let it flow out. Not only are others deprived of blessings if we are stingy or greedy, but we are very
miserable.
Do you possess your possessions, or do your possessions possess you? Are you able to use what you have to be a blessing?
God is a giver, and if we want to enjoy life
and fulfill our purpose, then we must become givers also.
There is a difference between one who occasionally gives and a giver. When a person occasionally gives, it is something
they do, but when they become a giver, it is who they are.
Giving has become a habit, and it is part of their character.
They don’t have to be convinced to give, they don’t resent giving or secretly wish they did not have to do it, but instead
they actually love giving and are always on the lookout for ways to do it.
This is a good place to stop for a moment and do a reality check. It is time for a truth test. Are you a generous giver? Do
you give as much as you can in a variety of ways, or are you still holding back out of fear, trying very hard to make sure that
you are taken care of first? If you know in your heart that you’re not a generous person, don’t feel guilty, but start developing a habit of being generous.
