Do I Want to Be A Generous Giver?

Darla and I have been blessed in countless ways over our 38+ years of marriage.  Included in those blessings are financial benefits of hard work and seeking to be good stewards.  We have everything we need and most things that we want.  That separates us from the large majority of the world.

Poverty is not a "problem" in many parts of our world - it is a lifestyle and an environment.  Millions of families are just grateful for daily bread to make it until tomorrow.  Clean, safe drinking water is a blessing, not an everyday reality for them.  Their family members die at a much younger age than we as Americans.  They have no access to any health care.  Yet, many times they have learned to be content in the situation they are living in.

Here in our country we are spoiled.  We are guilty of gluttony when we eat and we spend a big percentage of our income on comfort and our own pleasure.  Most of us will never truly even understand the true meaning of the word "sacrifice."  Yet . . . don't miss this - most of us still are not really happy.  Is this getting too personal for you?

Years ago we became spiritually convicted that we should do more than what is comfortable in our giving, so we made a commitment to become generous givers.  Each year our goal is to live on less and give away more, and we have succeeded in doing so.  But recently I was challenged to move from being a generous giver to an extravagant one.  To be a "generous" giver means that I am willing to give more than what is normally expected - but an "extravagant" giver does three things:

* They give more than what is expected.

* They give more than what is affordable.

* They give more than what is needed.

That second statement is where I feel some immediate push back.  I can't afford to give extravagantly.  It's not that I would not be willing - it's more than I just can't see how it is wise to give more than I can afford.  There - that's a good "out" for me - it would not be wise to give more than I can afford.  Right?  After all, God requires that I be a good steward, right?

I'm struggling.  Then, in the midst of my struggle, I come to the Christmas season and am forced to wrestle with God's example.  He didn't just give His part.  He didn't even give generously.  He gave extravagantly when He sent His only Son to take my punishment and condemnation that my sin deserves.  I can't ignore that.  I can't escape that.  But I can and must choose how I respond to that.

Want to struggle with me?