It’s Sunday morning.  

That time during the church service is creeping up. You know which one. The one you only remembered the night before. You see the familiar older gentleman making his way to the front as you feel sweat beading on the back of your neck. You see the QR code appear on the screen and run the numbers in your bank account. If it hadn’t been for that blown tire last week, or the fact that your financial aid still hadn’t been deposited, maybe you would have a little wiggle room to give.

What about cash? You pick up your bag and dig around at the bottom, feeling only the odd pencil or candy wrapper. You hear the leader say the line, “It’s time to give the Lord your tithes and offerings,” when you suddenly remember the rare $2 bill your grandma gave you three Christmases ago. You dig it out of your wallet, folding it into a teeny tiny square just as the usher holds that big brass plate in front of you.  

Whew! You survived another offering. 

Is this what 2 Corinthians 9:7 means when it says, “God loves a cheerful giver” (NIV)? Of course not—but how can you be a generous person when you’re not even on your feet yet?

How to Cultivate A Spirit of Generosity

Developing a spirit of generosity is not just about what we do or what we give, but at the heart of who we are. It’s more than one moment in the worship service. It has everything to do with trusting God. 

Often, we choose not to give generously, because we are afraid that we might end up lacking something. If you have ever found yourself in a season or situation where you did not have the basic, necessary things to live, you might understand this scarcity mindset, this survival instinct that tells you to hold tightly to what you have. This thought process is even ingrained in our biology. If we don’t give our body enough food, it burns calories at a slower rate for fear of starvation.

A spirit of generosity runs counter to our natural instincts to store up whatever we can get our hands on—for that “just in case” moment. 

In the beginning of the Bible, when the Deceiver first made his appearance, he did so to plant a seed in the hearts of humanity that what God had given them was not enough. He convinced them God had withheld from them, and was not to be trusted. That seed grew a desperation in our hearts to do whatever necessary to take care of ourselves, sprouting theft, selfishness, greed, jealousy, poverty and struggle.

In the middle of this selfish world, how can you become a generous person?

1. Step One: Be grateful. Look for the positive things in your life and thank God for them. When you adopt a spirit of gratitude, you may just realize you have more blessings than you thought!
2. Step Two: Show kindness to someone who has nothing to offer you. It can be something simple like letting someone in front of you in line, writing a note to someone having a tough time, or offering a listening ear to someone who is lonely or struggling. Try to do something kind in secret, like without posting about it or sharing it with friends. Give for the pure joy of giving, not for what you might get in return. 
3. Step Three: Be generous with things besides money. Find a way to use a talent you have for someone else’s good. Find someone to help or mentor. Volunteer. Do a favor for someone that costs you nothing but time. Donate items you no longer use for a good cause. Give someone a genuine compliment or even just a smile. 
4. Step Four: Set a financial goal for monetary giving. Even though it may look different in this stage of life, developing a habit of giving is important in your faith journey. Prayerfully consider what that looks like for you and commit to following through.
5. Step Five: Seek to know the heart of God. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” 

Read. That. Again.

If we truly understand the heart of God and how lavishly He adores us, we would not feel the need to hoard  everything we have. If someone invites you to a decadent all-you-can-eat meal, you don’t stockpile the appetizers, because you know there is plenty more. 

Living generously is living life without holding too tightly to our time, attention, ideas, skills, and yes, our resources, because we trust in a God who has infinite treasure. It’s about realizing that everything we possess is a gift, and when we’ve experienced the abundance of living in God’s faithfulness, we cannot help but want to share it. 

This article was originally titled “A Generous Heart” in the December 2024 issue of Peer.