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Why we need to ‘excel in this grace of giving’
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The Bible is full of stories about generosity. The little boy with five loaves and two fish. The widow with two copper coins. The church in Philippi that gave support to Paul. The churches in Macedonia that gave out of their poverty. And the one in Corinth that gave to help the church in Macedonia.
The writer of Hebrews said, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
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And the apostle Paul wrote, “But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
People who raise money for a living know that often the hardest gift to obtain is the first one. Because generosity is a habit — those who have given, give. Generosity is not the sole province of the wealthy nor of the poor. Neither is miserliness. Generosity begets generosity.
We know that the spiritual disciplines require, well, discipline. Making a habit of prayer, Bible study, meditation, worship and more must become a daily practice. Habits inherently require repetition. Generosity requires a habit of giving.
Volunteers with the Greenbank Church of Christ load food into grocery carts.
• Give broadly. Develop the habit of giving, not just at church on Sunday or monthly through an online draw or credit card charge. Give when you see a need. And keep your eyes open to need.
• Give to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Give to support other causes you care about. Give to Big Brothers Big Sisters, to your local Little League, to the cancer society or a nursing home. Buy shoes and clothes and medical equipment and school supplies.
Rose Williams sorts piles of donated items for the Renew Common Goods ministry.
• Give to the pregnant teenager and the people who will care for her and help her care for her child. Give to the elderly neighbor and the organizations that provide rides and companionship and nursing care. Give to support midnight basketball leagues and neighborhood gardens. Give to bring beauty and art and music into your community. Just give. Without condition.
• Give from your abundance. Give when you think you can’t. Give quietly. Give as an example to your children. Just give. Without a lecture. Without regret.
As is often the case, studies by sociologists and in the health professions confirm what we know spiritually: Giving is good for us. Giving literally makes us feel good.
Volunteering can help us live longer. But that’s not why we should give.
The misguided advocates of a prosperity Gospel too often cite Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again,” as though getting things back is the incentive for giving — a promise-reward sort of ratio. But they miss the writer’s point.
After Russia’s retreat, hungry Ukrainians in the city of Izium take loaves of bread delivered by Volunteer Brothers.
Receiving in abundance is just a natural outcome of generosity, not the motivation for it.
The time of year is approaching when nonprofit organizations make their appeals for year-end gifts, for gifts to help others during the holidays, for gifts to make budget.
And yes, The Christian Chronicle will be asking readers and friends to support the very important work we do here. Paper and postage and travel and writers cost money. Our stories may be free to you via Facebook or our website. But they’re not free. Someone has to give generously to make all that happen. We hope you’ll be among those someones.
But the most important thing we can say about giving is not, “Give to us.” But, “Give. Just give.” — Cheryl Mann Bacon, for the Editorial Board
