Dear Elim Grace,

What does God have to say about generosity and a person who is generous?  First, let’s start with what is generosity.  It is a heart attitude that sees a need and is moved by God to meet that need.  It might be a meal, it might be a monetary gift, but more often it is the heart that willingly comes alongside to support or to walk with someone through a situation.

It is time and effort not money that most often marks those who are generous.  The woman with three children seeing a single mom struggling and sets up a series of play dates to let her children be a blessing to the other mom’s children teaching them by their example how to play well together and how to respond to mother’s directions.

I will never forget watching a mother of three or four at a playground with upwards of fifty kids running around calling out “Children Assemble” and watching with awe as her children came running to her from all over the playground.  Every mother in the place was just in awe of this mom and her kids.  Generosity gives what one has without being concerned about getting something in return.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”  So, are we to give to get more?  That would be how some would see this verse, but God looks at the heart. If the motivation is to get more by giving some away, God sees it and does not honor it.  But the mom who receives the blessing of those play dates is going to be changed by them and the mother who set them up will at some point be poured into by God’s design as another mom comes alongside her or one of her children as part of His blessing.

I have watched our CR and the Desens House leaders pouring their time and talents into individuals and it is a delight as I see individuals lives changing for the better.  Some are being paid but most are not. Yet I have watched their generosity of heart in giving their love away in their words and acts of kindness.  They are touching others through their generosity.  It’s not something they have to do; it’s something they get to do.  The difference between “I have to” and “I get to” is seen in the outcome. It is also the reason that God is pouring His blessings upon these individuals who choose to say I get to do this for my Lord and for this person.

Let’s talk money.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I remember a time not too long ago when Pastor Jonathan called us to give a monetary gift away each of ten days.  I asked God how much should my family give and he smiled at me and said whatever your wife says to give, double it and that will be the amount for each day.  So, we are driving to the grocery store and I asked her for a gift amount for each day.  She gave me a good value.  Actually, the value that I thought that we would end up at, but God had already prepared my heart to say yes to doubling my wife’s amount.  I started laughing and my wife is thinking that I am laughing at her value, but I was just laughing away at what she was going to say when I told her what God had ask me to do.  We doubled her value and we gave that amount each of the ten days.  Our heart attitude matters to our Lord when we give no matter if it is time, or talents, or dollars.

God was building, or better put, stretching our faith through that time and He was reminding us that every dollar is supplied by Him to us, therefore, if he asks us to give more than we want to for a particular project, then we need to trust Him that He will supply all our needs in Christ Jesus.  I admit that there may also be a cost to our obedience, like deciding that the new toy, building project, new washer/dryer set you have been planning on purchasing, might not be purchased now as that money has been spoken for.  But is does mean that He will supply all your needs.

I have seen an unplanned for expense arise and seen the Lord meet that expense with an unexpected area of the budget or God simply provided an unexpected income that covers that expense.  I have seen the washer that looked to be on its last legs just keep running load after load until the budget had the ability to cover the cost of a new one.

We will be having a Capital Campaign this fall and many of us are already thinking and asking the Lord for a dollar amount for our families to each give over the three years of the campaign.  Some families are looking at their income verses their outgo and thinking, I don’t see any way that we can give anything at all.  I am quite sure that view is correct, but here is the deal: it is not about the amount, it is about asking Your Heavenly Father for His guidance on selecting a gift value.

If the Lord says your gift is to be time helping out during the campaign with some food items and to help out with the building projects that will be needed once the main build is done, then that is what you should put down as your campaign gift this fall.  If you have children and they want to make a pledge by all means let them.  Have them ask the Lord for a value for each of the three years and then have them turn that pledge in.  You may need to help them by planning ways that they can earn that pledge money through special chores and this is a great way for other family and friends to ask them to help them on a project/chore for some money.  Remember that we are growing a big people and generosity plays a large part in the growth of big people and that includes our children.  We are called to build a big people in each generation, not just one generation. Therefore, our children need to learn and experience giving and acts of generosity just like we adults need to.

Heavenly Father, pour Your wisdom upon each of our families as we begin this Capital Campaign by helping each family to determine a dollar or service amount for the campaign.  Grant to each a heart that delights in what You are calling them to do and to become as You, Lord. Pour Your generosity into our hearts as You grow in each of us hearts of generosity so we become a big people in You, Lord Jesus, amen.

Phil Ryan, an Elder of Elim Grace