What does the Bible say about generosity?
(Photo: Unsplash/Chungkuk Bae)As God's children, our Heavenly Father is always generous with us. He created the world for mankind and every good thing we have was given to us by Him. In fact, He has given us more than we can ever repay!
But do we always feel like being generous? Sometimes it's a struggle, especially when we feel like the recipient may not deserve it or has taken our generosity for granted.
The Bible shows us what generosity is really about. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said He did not come to the world to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. We should emulate our Lord and Saviour and be the ones who show generosity to others instead of waiting to receive it from others first.
Generosity is the willingness to give one's time, resources, or compassion freely and selflessly, without expecting anything in return. But why should we do that? Because that's what God does for us all the time, so it's only right that we should do the same.
But the Bible doesn't only emphasise the importance of generosity but also the blessings that come with it. Even when nobody sees or acknowledges our generosity, God always will. It is not about the quantity we give but rather that whatever we give and whenever we give it, we do so cheerfully. God is pleased with and blesses those who are generous but at the same time, it should always be done in humility. It is not about bragging to others to get their acknowledgement, praise or honour but rather remembering how often God and other people in our lives were generous with us - and doing likewise.
If you need some fresh encouragement to be generous, here are 10 Bible verses to inspire you:
Here are 10 Bible verses on generosity:
Proverbs 11:25: "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed."
2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Proverbs 22:9: "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor."
Acts 20:35: "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Hebrews 13:16: "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Proverbs 19:17: "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done."
Malachi 3:10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."
Matthew 6:3-4: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Proverbs 28:27: "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." CT.
