The Joy of Generosity

Times are tough right now for many people. Why? Because in a nutshell, our country as a whole has not been following biblical principles of finance. Now is a very good time for every one of us to understand how God desires us to handle our money. So that, we can be blessed and be a blessing to others.

With respect to money, the Bible speaks of two kinds of people. The first kind of person I want to talk about today is a stingy person. A stingy person is someone who could be said to be a penny-pincher. A stingy person wants to keep as much money as he can and spend or give away as little as possible. Some people think that being stingy is a virtue. Let’s see what God’s Word says.

Proverbs 28:22 (NIV) A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

God’s Word tells us that the root of stinginess is the desire to get rich. A stingy person depends on money for his security. Therefore a stingy person never has enough money. A stingy person is self-centered and only thinks about his own needs. God’s Word also tells us that the result of stinginess is not riches, but poverty. In other words, the stingy person gets the exact opposite of what he wants. He wants riches and he receives his worst fear, poverty.

What the opposite of a stingy person? The opposite is a generous person. A generous person thinks about other people and gives freely to others.

Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV) One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

In these verses, God’s Word contrasts a stingy and a generous person. The stingy person again comes to poverty, but the generous person gains even as he gives and ends in prosperity.

Listen to my September 20, 2009 message “The Joy of Generosity” (message notes).