Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2007 Spring Issue -- The Joy of Generosity

I don’t pretend to understand how the economy of this works out -- I just know it’s true: The more you give, the more you get.

All I can say is that it must be God at work. Seems backwards, doesn’t it? The world tells us to keep and to save if you want more, but Paul says, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Paul is not preaching the ‘health and wealth’ gospel that we sometimes hear on the radio. Many generous Christians suffer terribly in this world. I am reminded of a mission trip to Haiti where our group was the recipient of a gracious gift of hospitality… at a cost of much labor and love. We traveled two hours by road and walked for an hour to get to a village church. After we led a worship service under a tin roof perched on stilts, the church treated us to a meal of roasted chicken, fresh vegetables, and Coca-Cola to drink. We were later told they had saved for weeks to treat us to this extravagance. This was a case of the poor giving to the rich. Yet, despite their generosity, these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ continue to struggle in terrible poverty. What they reaped, however, was much greater than material blessings. They experienced the joy of generosity that brings praise to God.

Paul says the harvest comes in terms of righteousness (2 Corinthians 9:10). In addition, he says God will make sure these Corinthians will be made “rich in every way” so as to be able to share in ways that will bring thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). And, that is exactly what happened that day in Haiti.

Have you witnessed the counter-intuitive proverbial truths below?: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty,” (Proverbs 11:24); “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed,” (Proverbs 11:25)

One of the spiritual gifts God has given my wife of 26 years is the gift of hospitality. I have seen how she welcomes others and opens our home. And God always provides what we need, whether through a successful hunting trip or a good fishing season, or just a recent visit to the grocery store. We always have plenty to share. But even more importantly, what I’ve seen is that her cheerful giving produces joy, praise, thanksgiving, refreshing, and a store of righteousness we may never fully comprehend.

Most of the time we think of generous giving in terms of money or sharing material things. That is, after all, the context of Paul’s remarks to the Corinthians. Yet, I believe this proverb is also true in terms of relationships. Joy is found in generosity, relationally as well as materially. Ask any married couple. When one spouse is generous in helping the other, in caring for the other, in forgiving the other, then joy fills the home. On the contrary, when there is selfishness and a lack of giving to one another in the home, joy is sparse. Nor will giving done grudgingly in any of these categories cut it. Only a genuinely cheerful offering will make the difference we long for in our homes. Cheerful and generous giving begets joy!

Likewise (and even more importantly), this is true in our relationship with God. He has generously given us all we need. He longs for us to grow and mature to be like Christ and fulfill our very purpose of being transformed into his image (2 Corinthians 3:18). And so, as we cheerfully and generously give back our lives (Romans 12:1-2), we are filled with inexpressible joy and praise and thanksgiving as we receive the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:8).

That’s the economy of God: the more you give, the more you get! The joy of generosity knows no bounds!

Mark Henry, a retired US Army Chaplain, is the preaching minister for the TurnAgain Church of Christ in Anchorage, Alaska. He enjoys hunting and fishing and being out in God’s wilderness. He and his wife, Lezlie, have two children in high school. Mark has a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Abilene Christian University.