Generosity.  Perhaps generosity could be defined as the inward desire to help others with the things we’ve been blessed with.

It’s a bit of a daunting task to write on a subject like this, as there are undoubtedly others much more qualified to cover this topic, but one of the beauties of our character initiative is the idea that we’re all just cheering one another on.  The purpose is not to say that anyone’s arrived, but rather that we’re all on a journey with a goal in mind, together.

So when I started to think about generosity, the word gratitude also came to mind.  James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  I think gratitude is important because it helps us keep from having an inward focus, which is also at the heart of generosity.  Recognizing that we’ve been given much helps us open up our hearts to others.

Taking a look at scripture, we can see how being generous is near and dear to the heart of God.  The nation of Israel was commanded in Leviticus 19:9-10, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge…You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

Proverbs 19:7 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

Acts 20:35 – “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

I want to key in on the idea that it’s more blessed to give than to receive.  There are abundant reports which uphold the idea that generosity promotes good health in a variety of ways.  One article from huffpost.com entitled The Benefits of Generosity by Lisa Firestone, says, “year after year, more and more studies are highlighting the benefits of generosity on both our physical and mental health. Not only does generosity reduce stress, support one’s physical health, enhance one’s sense of purpose, and naturally fight depression, it is also shown to increase one’s lifespan.”  Wow!  Not bad huh?  Can you tell me where I can get some of that generosity…ha!

This all supports the truth that we weren’t made to live for ourselves.  A thriving life is one which overflows to others.  A great picture of the opposite of this is in the Dead Sea, in Israel.  It has an inflow of water, but no outflow.  And what is the result?  Nothing can live in the water.  The same is true of our lives if we never turn outward.

By the way, true generosity isn’t motivated by guilt, but by love.  It’s also vitally important that we never compare ourselves to someone else, as to their level of giving.  It’s a matter of the heart, and wherever we are, we can start there.  We might see a need, feel the desire to help someone out, and grow from there.  It’s simply about blessing others though.

Lastly as the old saying reminds, you can’t take it with you.  So we would all do well (definitely preaching to myself!) to aim higher, to be more purposeful, to seek to make a difference with what we’ve been given, and by being a blessing, we receive an even bigger blessing along the way.