Eight Great Reasons to be a Generous In 2018

Last April, I was in Kansas City for a meeting. As we drove through a beautiful part of town with very large homes, I noticed a huge church that looked like a castle. It was built out of stone and looked as if had been there many years in this older, established part of the city. As a preacher, I was curious to see the name of this massive church as we drove by. On the impressive sign in front of the church it said, “Country Club Christian Church.” Now, I’m sure that this is a great church with wonderful people, but I couldn't help but laugh at this name as I turned to my preacher friend riding with me and jokingly said, I bet their motto is, “You can take it with you.” I also thought about all the times I’ve told my church folks that the church is not a country club for saints, but a hospital for sinners.

As we all hopefully know, you really can’t take it with you. (I’ve never seen a hearse towing a U-Haul.) But you can invest it in things that will outlast you. You can use it to make a difference in the lives of others. You can, so to speak, send it on ahead.

The good news is there are new waves of generosity we are seeing in our culture. Recently, I even read an article that claimed that millennials are becoming more generous as they get married and settle down. Since they represent the largest percentage of the population now, some of us in the church world and non-profit world are delighted to hear that news. But I do believe that people are rediscovering that being a generous person not only blesses others but also blesses our lives as well.

Here are eight great reasons to be generous in 2018:

1) It guarantees that your priorities are served.

Think about it. You can't always spend your time on your priorities, but your gifts can see to it that the work you deeply believe in continues. You can invest in what you believe in and make a difference.

2) It breaks the hold of selfishness.

In everyone of us there are two competing instincts- selfishness and generosity. We must be intentional about being generous. Regular giving breaks the grip of greed.

3) It enables you to be part of something great.

It's a big, bad world out there. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed and that there is nothing we can do. But there is something we can do. Giving to your local church, faith community or favorite non-profit ministry makes you a shareholder in the good work of God in the world.

4) It gives you a disciplined life.

We admire athletes and others who work so hard to be disciplined. We also feel good about and proud of ourselves when we are disciplined in our own lives. When we make a commitment to give regularly through our church, NGO or faith based non-profit, we discipline ourselves to be generous based on our deeply held principles and not on a whim or a feeling.

5) It multiplies your usefulness.

Through your gifts you are empowering good things and ministry to happen. You are working with a troubled teenager, telling children about God, strengthening marriages, leading in grief or divorce recovery, visiting hospitals, providing counseling, teaching Bible studies, supporting missionaries, raising up future leaders, feeding the poor, housing the homeless, impacting our community and communities around the world. You are in many places at once, enabling lives to be changed in the name of Jesus Christ!

6) it brings a satisfaction of knowing you are faithful.

There is great peace and fulfillment when you can say, " I am meeting my responsibilities. I am fulfilling the call of God to live a generous life."

7) It enables you to leave a legacy.

A wise man once said, " The wise use of a life is to invest it in something that will outlast it." As a Christian I believe that through our generous gifts to the church and other non-profit ministries, we enable the work of Christ that will outlast and outlive us. We are empowering the next generation to continue the work of offering Help, Hope and Healing in the Name of Jesus Christ!

8) It blesses you.

Jesus tells us that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Giving for the sake of others and for Christ brings joy and blessing into our lives! In Luke 6:38, Jesus also says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

So, be generous and be blessed!

You can’t take it with you. But you can invest it in impactful ministries that will make a difference and leave a legacy!

Blessings!