Why be generous?
1 Timothy 6:18-19
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good
deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19 In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves
as a firm foundation for the coming age,
so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
When people think of Christianity, they often already know a lot about its rules and its standards. They know so much about the dos and don’ts; but they often don’t know much about the bigger question, “Why?”
It should be no surprise to you that the Bible commands us to live generously. 1 Timothy 6 commands us to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share. But, do you know what reason Paul gives for living this kind of generous life? Whatever the reason is, it is going to make a huge difference in our ability and desire to live out this command.
Some people think God tells us to do things just for cold obe- dience – as though God just wants to see if you’ll do something difficult and self-sacrificing for Him. While one of the biggest ways we love God is by obeying Him, God is so generous to us that He also gives us huge rewards to encourage us to obey.
The reason Paul gives for our good deeds and generosity is twofold:
First, he says that by living this way we will lay up treasure for the coming age. In living generously we are actually storing up eternal treasure. It’s like a spiritual investment plan; invest a little now to receive way more in heaven!
Second, Paul says that we will be taking hold of the life that is truly life. By living generously in light of eternity, we are giving up temporary things like our treasure or our time, the things some people think are the essentials of life, and in exchange we get to have true and full life from God, the kind of life God wants most for us. So when God calls us to obey and live generously, we do so knowing that what He offers us is so much greater than what He calls us to give up.
Today’s Generosity Challenge:
Again let’s reflect on the last 23 Generosity Challenges. What have you learned about the “why” of being generous? Write down your thoughts here at http://GenerousLife.net/Day24. Now, how has it begun to change you?
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