“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
– 2 Corinthians 9:10,11
Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on generosity and giving with you. My parents instilled in me the value of tithing or giving the first ten percent of my income to God’s work, as I grew up. I am a firm believer in it, and while I don’t believe the percentage is as important as the amount you sacrifice, I have seen Jesus respond to generosity on numerous occasions. We can and will see Him expand our territory and open the floodgates of blessing as we move from the shackles of a scarcity mindset to one of sufficiency! As a televangelist, I’m often hesitant to talk about giving because the most common criticism leveled at us (which, by the way, is well-deserved) is that we talk too much about money. However, my goal is not to manipulate you for my gain; rather, I want you to understand that generosity is a good thing that we, as Christians, should all practice. We are commanded and commended to give generously because Jesus gave so much to us. Once, I was in Hong Kong to express our gratitude to our friends and supporters. The people we went to visit surprised us with a Thanksgiving feast because they knew our Thanksgiving holiday was approaching. They were asking me questions about the holiday because they didn’t know much about it — one woman in particular. As I explained it to her, I was struck by how a tradition founded on gratitude has evolved into an excuse to gorge ourselves and consume more than we would on a normal day. This isn’t the way things are supposed to be! Generosity, rather than greed, is a natural outgrowth of true thanksgiving, and it shouldn’t be limited to one day a year. Friend, you will be generous if you are thankful and live in gratitude for what God has done for you. It’s similar to a math problem in that one equals the other. It’s impossible to be grateful and stingy, scarce, greedy, angry, or envious at the same time. A fearful heart will never be satisfied, but a heart filled with faith in Jesus’ goodness will be content, knowing that He will always provide more than enough. Isn’t that wonderful news? |
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for instilling gratitude in my heart for what you have accomplished through your Son, Jesus. I ask for more chances to be generous so that I can show others your love.
Reflection
How has thankfulness led to gratitude in your life?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
