Becoming a Generous Person

In the months leading up to Jesus’ ministry, rumors spread about the coming Savior of the world. People had lots of opinions about what He’d be like, so they went to Jesus’ cousin for answers.

Many wanted to know how they could get ready for the Savior’s arrival. John the Baptist told them this:

... “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11 NIV

According to John, generosity makes room in our hearts for Jesus.

Generosity means sharing what you have to help someone else. See how simple that definition is? It includes our money but also everything else we have—our time, our skills, our resources.

So, how can you become a generous person? It’s not complicated, but it’s not always easy. Here are a few ways to be generous.

1. Ask yourself, “What do I need?”

God wants us to enjoy the things we have. But we don’t own our stuff. God does, and He calls us to share what we have with others. So ask yourself, “What do I really need?”

2. Ask yourself, “What do I have to share?”

Maybe you have plenty of spare time or a skill you’ve developed. Or maybe you have money that could bless others. No matter what it is, if you have something, you can probably find a way to share it.

3. Ask yourself, “What does my community need?”

The people around you have needs you can meet. Maybe your neighbor has experienced a loss and simply being generous with your words and presence could make a difference. Or your local food bank might need volunteers or donations. Your local church is able to open its doors to the community because of generous givers. Researching the needs in your community could inspire generous creativity.

Jesus followers often give regularly out of what they earn each week to their church. Why? Because the church is doing God’s work in your community. So when we give to the church, we provide the church with more opportunities to make an eternal impact.

Jesus was generous, and He invites each of us to live like Him. You have what it takes to be a generous person. You can start by identifying what you need, what you have to share, and what your community needs.