What Does the Bible Say About Generosity?

Many people wonder what the Bible has to say about generosity. The Bible is clear that God wants his people to be generous. The more generous you are, the more blessings that God will shower upon you. God cares more about your attitude in giving than about the actual amount of money that you give.

Identification

According to the Bible, God expects his people to be giving to others. In Malachi 3:8-12, the Bible explains that God expects people to give a tithe (10 percent) to God's house. If we will be generous with our money, then God will be generous with his blessings: Give generously "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3:10)

Types

According to the Bible, generosity is not limited to a monetary gift. Proverbs 22:9 says that "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Generosity can involve money, food, time or anything else that we have to give. Jesus generously gave respect to those who were considered unrespectable, such as the woman at the well (John 4:1-26) and Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:1-9).

Features

The Bible says that God cares about our attitude in giving. The Bible says in II Corinthians 9:7 that "God loves a cheerful giver," and that "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion." It is our attitude in giving that matters more than the amount that we give. See Luke 21:1-4 for an example of the widow's offering being the most generous gift, even though it was a small offering.

Considerations

According to the Bible, all that we have comes from God. That makes us merely stewards, but not owners, of all of our possessions. In I Chronicles 29:14, the Bible says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." All that we have belongs to God, so we should give God's money generously in ways that God wants us to give it.

Benefits

The Bible says that generosity leads to blessing. In Proverbs 11:25, the Bible tells us that "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." God draws near to those who are generous, lend freely and act with justice (Psalm 112:5). If you give generously, then God will pour out more blessings upon you than you even have room for (Malachi 3:10).

Resources

• The Widow's Offering
• Passage on Tithing