7 Days To Becoming A More Generous PersonSample

Generous with our abilities.

You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. — John Bunyan

We’ve established that generosity goes way beyond our bank accounts. In many seasons of our lives, we will not have the financial means to contribute at all beyond returning the tithe. But that should not stop us from sharing what we do have — our abilities. 

Whether we learned to do something through lessons or were born with a talent, we all have things in which we excel. Sometimes these things help us earn a living and when this is the case, it can be hard to contribute such a skill in this way. But how amazing would it be to offer up the abilities and intelligence in a certain area to assist another? Let’s think through what we can contribute when it comes to our abilities and make a difference in that way.

Use your skills.
This typically includes skills we learned — maybe in college or on the job training. Handymen, plumbers, and electricians can offer to help others who would otherwise not be able to afford a certain service. Those who studied accounting or are just good with finances can offer needed assistance in this area to others. People in the medical field often offer their skills to people who may not be able to afford such care. Where do we excel? What comes easy for us? We can use our skills to lighten someone else’s load.

Use your gifts.
These are the qualities we possess from God’s hand. We didn’t do anything to get them — we were born with these gifts. Some of us entered this world in a good mood and have proven to be quite the encouragers. Or perhaps God gave us the ability to organize or administer tasks and events. We’ve been called a “prayer warrior” because we spend hours throughout each week lifting up the burdens of others in prayer. Our gifts were given to us to share with others. 

Use your talents.
Our talents are usually something we trained for. Lesson after lesson, year after year, we spent time honing this in order to do it excellently. It could be singing, dancing, playing an instrument, competing in a sport, making people laugh, or a variety of other talents. These are areas where we can show our generous spirit by sharing them with others for no compensation. 

No matter if we were born with a talent or obtained it from years of practice, we have something to offer another. God can take our abilities and use them for His purposes. 

Reflect

• Have you ever considered that giving of your abilities is generosity?
• Write down some of your skills, gifts, and talents. List one thing you could in each area to give to someone else.