Living in Increase (Part 11) - Increase in Joyنموونە

Thankful for Generosity

Generosity and thankfulness also go hand-in-hand. In 2 Corinthians, we read about Paul thanking the Church in Corinth for providing for his ministry. However, as he is thanking them for their generosity, he also mentions that because of their generosity, others will “joyfully express their thanks to God.”

Generosity produces a two-fold thanksgiving. First, we should thank God for His extravagant generosity to us. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” meaning God owns everything! Therefore, whatever you have comes from God.

Second, through what God has blessed you with, you can be a blessing to others, and this will cause them to overflow with gratefulness to God! You never know what your generosity will do for someone. For example, you may be prompted to give someone $5. You may think, “It’s only $5. What’s the big deal?” What you may not know is that person has been praying for $5, and you being generous is an answer to their prayer. When this happens, guess who gets the glory? God! I know the person will be thankful for your obedience and generosity, but they’ll ultimately be grateful that God answered their prayer and provided for them.

When we’re generous to others, we partner with God to be a blessing in their lives. We are thankful for what we have received from God, and as we bless others, they will show gratitude to God, too!

Emily N. Green

Action Step: Write down some ways you can be generous to others this week. Make a plan to put these ideas into action.