Generosity makes both giver and receiver richer
You can't out-give God. Generosity isn't about losing money – it's about gaining joy, purpose, and an eternal perspective. When you give, everyone wins.
Here's something that doesn't make sense mathematically but is absolutely true in real life: giving money away makes you RICHER, not poorer.
Research shows that people who give regularly:
In fact, studies show that spending money on OTHERS makes people happier than spending the same amount on themselves!
Why does this happen? When you give, you break the grip that money has on your heart. You prove to yourself that you control money; money doesn't control you.
Jesus told a story about this very thing. He was at the temple watching people give offerings:
Wealthy individuals came and dropped in large amounts of money. Everyone noticed. They felt important. But they gave only a small percentage of their wealth – money they wouldn't even miss.
Then came a poor widow. She dropped in two small copper coins – worth only a fraction of a penny. Nobody noticed except Jesus. But He called His disciples over and said:
"This poor widow has put in more than all the others. They gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on." (Mark 12:43-44)
The Lesson: God doesn't measure giving by the AMOUNT – He measures by the SACRIFICE. The rich gave what they wouldn't miss. The widow gave everything. Her gift was infinitely more valuable because it cost her everything.
Throughout the Bible, God establishes the principle of tithing – giving the first 10% of your income back to Him:
1. It's Worship
Giving your first and best back to God says, "You are more important than money. You are my provider."
2. It Builds Trust
When you give the first 10%, you're trusting God to provide with the remaining 90%. This grows your faith.
3. It Breaks Greed
Regular giving prevents money from becoming an idol. It keeps your heart free from materialism.
4. It Funds Kingdom Work
Your tithes support churches, missionaries, and ministries that spread the Gospel and help people.
5. God Promises Blessing
Malachi 3:10 says to "test me in this" – God PROMISES to bless those who tithe faithfully. It's the only place He tells us to test Him!
The principle applies to ALL income, not just "earned" income. If God provides it, we honor Him with the first 10%.
While tithing is the baseline, God calls us to even greater generosity:
"God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Give joyfully, not reluctantly. If you're giving out of obligation or guilt, examine your heart. God wants your gift to come from love.
"Give, and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38)
Sometimes God calls us to give beyond the 10% – to give sacrificially. When we do, He promises to provide abundantly.
"Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3)
The best giving is done in secret, not for recognition. God sees and rewards what's done in secret.
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due" (Proverbs 3:27)
When God prompts you to give, do it quickly. Don't let hesitation steal your opportunity to bless someone.
You might think, "I'll start giving when I have more money." That's backwards! Here's why:
"When I'm rich, I'll be generous."
Problem: You won't. If you're not generous with $10, you won't be generous with $10,000. Habits form now, not later.
"I'll be generous NOW with what I have."
Result: You build the HABIT of generosity, which continues as income grows. Plus, you experience the joy immediately!
Generosity isn't about the amount – it's about the heart. Start where you are!
Giving paradoxically makes you richer. Not just spiritually, but in joy, relationships, and often materially too.
Tithing (10%) is the biblical baseline. It's worship, trust, and obedience wrapped into one practice.
God measures sacrifice, not amount. Your $5 given sacrificially means more than someone else's $500 given easily.
Start giving NOW, not later. Generosity is a habit. If you won't give when you have little, you won't give when you have much.
Give cheerfully and secretly. The best giving comes from joy and isn't done for recognition.
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
— 2 Corinthians 9:7
God doesn't want your money if you're giving reluctantly. He wants your HEART. Cheerful giving means you give joyfully, trusting that God will provide for your needs and that your gift will make a difference.
"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'"
— Malachi 3:10
This is the ONLY place in Scripture where God says "test me." He's so confident in His ability to provide that He challenges us to try tithing and watch what happens!
Calculate 10% of your income (allowance, job, gifts). Give it to your church or a ministry doing God's work. Make this your first expense, not your last.
This week, find one way to give without anyone knowing it was you. Leave money for someone, pay for stranger's meal, etc. Experience the joy of secret giving.
Generosity isn't just money. Volunteer somewhere this month. Serve at church, help a neighbor, visit elderly. Your time is valuable – give it!
Decide your giving percentage (start with 10% tithe, add more if possible). Set up automatic giving if you can, or create a giving envelope/jar for cash.