Generosity Is an Attitude, Not an Amount

In 2 Corinthians 8:12 I read, “If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t.” (TLB)

Generosity is about far more than giving money. It’s about living generously in every area of your life.

The Bible says this about generosity: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV).

What does it look like to “be generous on every occasion”? It means being generous with my time, praise, sympathy, forgiveness, love, compliments, and kindness. It means being generous with your listening so that I can seek to understand others. And it means being generous with your attention so that you can be aware of the needs of people.

But God isn’t interested in how much I give in life. He cares about why I give and how I give. He cares about my motivation—your heart. That’s the difference between normal generosity and radical generosity.

Radical generosity is an attitude, not an amount.

The Bible says it this way: “If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t” (2 Corinthians 8:12 TLB). 

God doesn’t need my money, talent, or time. In truth, he really doesn’t need anything from me. But what he wants from me is my heart. What he wants is my love. The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). When I give my life to Christ, my heart will be with him.

No matter what I do or what I give, it’s important to check my motivation. Why? Because God wants me to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). He wants me to be radically generous.

In summary, generosity is about far more than giving money. It’s about living generously in every area of your life. What does it look like to “be generous on every occasion”? It means being generous with my time, praise, sympathy, forgiveness, love, compliments, and kindness. It means being generous with your listening so that I can seek to understand others. And it means being generous with your attention so that you can be aware of the needs of people. But God isn’t interested in how much I give in life. He cares about why I give and how I give. He cares about my motivation. That’s the difference between normal generosity and radical generosity. Radical generosity is an attitude, not an amount. God doesn’t need my money, talent, or time. He really doesn’t need anything from me. But what he wants from me is my heart. What he wants is my love. "Where my treasure is, there my heart will be also”. When I give my life to Christ, my heart will be with him. No matter what I do or what I give, it’s important to check my motivation. God wants me to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). He wants me to be radically generous.

When it comes to how much to give, Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow: (1) each person should follow through on previous promises; (2) each person should give as much as he or she is able; (3) each person must make up his or her mind on how much to give; and (4) each person should give in proportion to what God has given him or her. God gives to us so that we can give to others. Paul also says we should give of what we have, not what we don't have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. Paul wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met. Give until it hurls, but don't give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need my financial support.