Dave Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom From Proverbsنموونە

Day 2: Give Generously

Consider This: God is a giver, and we reflect His character when we’re generous.

One morning when I was reading my Bible, my young son came down to sit with me. At first, I was irritated because he was up way too early—and lack of sleep makes for a cranky toddler. But I decided to keep reading and found myself at John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son . . .”

I love my children, and I can’t fathom the pain of giving my son’s life for another. But that’s how much God loved us. He gave the most precious thing He had. That’s what really changed my perspective and my heart toward giving. Because God is generous, I can reflect His character when I’m generous.

For over three decades of teaching the concepts of Financial Peace University, I’ve said, “If you live like no one else, later you can live—and give—like no one else.” Listen, it’s hard to be generous when you’re buried in debt. I’ve been there. I know how hard it is to give money away when you have no margin in your budget and you’re sick and tired of having too much month left at the end of your money.

One of the most overlooked examples of generosity in the Bible doesn’t even involve money—it involves lunch. You probably know the story: Jesus was teaching a large crowd of people, and they were all hungry. A little boy offered his lunch. It wasn’t much, but he willingly gave it away—and Jesus miraculously fed over 5,000 people with it! God can do much more than we can imagine, even with something small.

So, what does it mean to be a “generous person”? Great question. Certainly, generosity can involve giving money, especially when you recognize that God owns it all (see Day 1). That might look like tithing to your church, giving additional offerings, or supporting a nonprofit. Being generous with your money can also mean paying for a meal for a single mom and her kids or someone in military fatigues at a restaurant.

I like to say that giving is the antidote to selfishness. It gets your eyes off of you and what you want and turns your attention toward others and what they need. Giving is the hallmark character quality of those who understand that it all belongs to God anyway. It’s true. Proverbs 11:25 talks about God blessing those who use their financial resources to bless others. One of those blessings is contentment. Generosity and contentment go hand in hand.

Here’s the thing about your money: It really isn’t yours. It all belongs to God. If you’re properly managing the resources that God provides, then you’re going to be generous—and you’ll be excited about the opportunity. In fact, the Bible says that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). And that’s all about your attitude. So look for some ways to generously reflect God’s character this week.

Reflection Questions: How have you experienced the truth of Proverbs 11:25 in your life? How might God be leading you to practice generosity right now?