Generosity Is an Attitude, Not an Amount
By Rick Warren
“If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t.” 2 Corinthians 8:12 (TLB)
Generosity is about far more than giving money. It’s about living generously in every area of your life.
The Bible says this about generosity: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV).
What does it look like to “be generous on every occasion”? It means being generous with your time, praise, sympathy, forgiveness, love, compliments, and kindness. It means being generous with your listening so that you can seek to understand others. And it means being generous with your attention so that you can be aware of the needs of people.
But God isn’t interested in how much you give in life. He cares about why you give and how you give. He cares about your motivation—your heart. That’s the difference between normal generosity and radical generosity.
Radical generosity is an attitude, not an amount.
The Bible says it this way: “If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t” (2 Corinthians 8:12 TLB).
God doesn’t need your money, talent, or time. In truth, he really doesn’t need anything from you. But what he wants from you is your heart. What he wants is your love. The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). When you give your life to Christ, your heart will be with him.
No matter what you do or what you give, it’s important to check your motivation. Why? Because God wants you to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). He wants you to be radically generous.
Over the next few days, we’re going to look at the impact radical generosity can have on your life. It will change you and the people around you!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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