Student Leadership 301: GenerositySýnishorn

Day 3

A lot of people confuse generosity with tithing. But here’s the deal — tithing is a God-given command, so when we tithe we’re simply walking in obedience...not being generous. 

Remember, generosity means to give more of something than what’s expected. If you’re a Jesus-follower, it’s expected that you give the first 10% of everything to God. What you give to God and others above and beyond that 10% is where generosity actually begins. 

Mary could have cooked Jesus a meal or bought him a small trinket from a gift shop. Mary didn’t even have to pour all the perfume out. She could have just splashed a little on Jesus’ feet — but if that’s all she would have done, we wouldn’t be talking about her story today. And we wouldn't be talking about how amazing her perfume was either. The perfume, no matter how expensive it was, would be long forgotten by now. 

People won't talk about your stuff when you're gone, but they will talk about your story. 

Nobody ever changed history — or the life of someone else — by giving the bare minimum. When we choose to go above and beyond we pave the way for God to do more than we could imagine, not only in our life but in the lives of those around us. 

Generosity that touches the heart of Jesus requires audacious faith because it requires a sacrifice and a sacrifice usually feels like a loss in the beginning. This might be a loss of free time, a loss of money, maybe even a loss of clout!

And that loss, whatever it is, might hurt at first. It couldn’t have been easy for Mary to pour out something that was so valuable, yet she did it with a willing heart.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 

God loves a cheerful giver and guess what?! So do other people! When you choose to live a generous life, people notice. When you choose to give someone your undivided attention, they’ll notice. When you pay for the kid’s lunch behind you in line, they won’t forget it. And your Heavenly Father won’t forget either. God loves to bless people who love to be a blessing!

What would it look like for you to willingly go above and beyond? In your relationships? At church? In your home? Write down some ways you can begin leading the way in generosity. What stuff can you give up so you can live a better story?