Giving the gift of “me:” Growing Generosity, Open Before Christmas series, Message #1, December 2, 2007.
Did you shop on black Friday? Over 130 million of us hit the stores on the day after thanksgiving (dubbed “Black Friday”). Would you rate your experience a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down?” Exit polls reveal that most Americans gave it a “thumbs down” –rated the experience less than anticipated, disappointing. It seems as if we’re being consumed by consumption in America: 2/3rds of our economy is consumer-driven; we’re the greatest debtor nation in the world; and we work more/vacation less than the rest of the world. Are we happier than the rest of the world? Not according to social surveys! It seems as if the Rolling Stones hit “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” captures the pulse of American culture, and human nature, perfectly. Mick Jagger merely echoes what Solomon wisely observed: “Death and the grave are never satisfied, and neither are we.” (Proverbs 27:20) and also that “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.(Ecclesiastes 5:10). The bible indicates that our chronic dissatisfaction has to do with our human condition, and our affections –the condition of our hearts. We need to honestly evaluate whether our philosophy: “stuff satisfies” and our ethic that “getting is better than giving” are accurate. They are diametrically opposed to Jesus’ philosophy of life and the ethic he lived by. The bible says “Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!” (Proverbs 21:26 NLT). Many love to get & live to get. But the godly love to give & live to give. Jesus did. And Paul, whom He appeared to, writes that “we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35, NLT)” Those are radical words, folks, and they fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Is giving better than getting? Could giving be the key to developing a lasting sense of satisfaction? That’s what Jesus said; that’s how he lived his life. God’s gift of his son at Christmas reminds us that giving releases great benefits to both the recipient and the giver. Consider this: how has giving to others enriched you? What benefits does generosity bring? Now look at three reasons why it’s in your best interest to become more generous; more consistent in giving to others.
The first reason is that (A) Generosity brings satisfaction. I read that Allan Lucks (Executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City) in his book “The Healing Power of Doing Good” conducted research on the effects of generous service, polling over 3,000 volunteers from 20 organizations. Lucks discovered “the uplift of giving,” a physiological phenomenon produced in our body when we give and serve disinterestedly –a “giver’s high.” Lucks found that after people have helped others, they experience a feeling of well-being and tranquility that counteract stress and tension. Among the benefits Luks found you get from volunteering are:
• A more optimistic outlook
• Increased energy
• Better perceived health
• Decreased feelings of loneliness and depression
• Better weight control
• Less pain
• A greater sense of relaxation and improvement in sleep
• A stronger immune system
Service helps people to stay healthier, both physically and mentally. A study carried out in Tecumseh, Michigan with 2,700 persons found that those who constantly did volunteer work had a mortality rate 2.5 times lower than those who didn’t. Generosity is good for you, and good to you! Becoming a greater giver will make you better/healthier, your marriage and family better/healthier, your church & neighborhood better, your world better. The verdict’s in, Jesus’ Words are true, ultimately ’You’re far happier giving than getting.” (Acts 20:35, MSG),
The second reason that it’s in your best interest to become generous is that (B) Generosity frees you Jesus said that his teachings were words to build your life on, that if you obey His teachings, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Jesus taught that getting more doesn’t free you, it weighs you down with worry and fear of loss; Jesus says that possessions inevitably posess you. And he teaches that the best way to get is to give. Barbara Bush articulates this truth in these words: “Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.”
Take a look at Luke 6:38, where Jesus says “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV) Jesus is saying that “what goes around, comes around.” Giving blesses you because Giving releases God’s blessing, and inspires others to bless you in return. Ultimately, giving frees you. It frees you to enjoy the grateful generosity of others, and the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping. More importantly, it it frees your heart. Author Maya Angelou wrote: I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. How does giving liberate your soul/ heart? Giving frees you from fear, greed, selfishness, materialism. Giving frees you to exercise your faith in God, your love for others, your talents, abilities, and resources, and your courage. That’s the motive of Paul to pen these words to a wealthy man, Philemon: "I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ." (Philemon 1:6) Real faith generates generosity and releases God’s blessings into your life. In this way it IS more blessed to give than to receive.
A third benefit of giving is that (C) Generosity enables you to enjoy God’s pleasure. The bible says: "It is good to be kind and generous." (Psalm 112:5), and that "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7b). Living for God’s pleasure is worship, and that explains why God directed His people to give a portion of what they earned to God as part of their worship (fellowship offering) and to give to the poor. Listen to this observation of King David: "GOD keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won’t soon be forgotten. In hard times, they’ll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they’ll be full. Wicked borrows and never returns; Righteous gives and gives. Generous gets it all in the end; Stingy is cut off at the pass." (Psalm 37:18-19, 21-22, The Message) Whenever you give, you can be confident that you are pleasing God; acting like God; partnering with God. God shows up when you give out!
That’s what Christmas is all about: God giving out, God showing up. It’s been said: Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas."(Dale Evans) Open your heart before Christmas, like God did: give the gift of “me." Ask yourself: “How can I open my heart more and generously give the gift of me? What are some practical steps that I can take to begin to grow generosity?”
How I can grow Generosity: 1. Look beyond me. Jesus challenges us to set our sites on more than ourselves as the centerpiece of his greatest teaching, the sermon on the mount found in Matthew chapters 5-8. Examine what Jesus says about looking beyond yourself in chapter 6 verse 25: "You cannot serve both God and money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?..." He cites 2 examples of God’s provision: clothes flowers and feeds birds, and concludes with this radical challenge: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (excerpts: Matthew 6:25-33, NLT)
I personally believe that the greatest challenge in life is to develop the habit of consistently looking beyond me, moving off of self-center and prioritizing God’s plans & purposes rather than my preferences. It takes tremendous faith to generously give away “the gift of me” and trust that –as I do so- God will take care of me. What does the focus of your life, attention, energy, and prayers point to? Mostly you? Or mostly God & others? Be honest.
TIP: Look & listen for needs. Start your day with prayer; it’ll focus you on God; if you ask God to show you where He is working (the hearts and lives of others) and give you His sensitivity to their needs, it’ll help move you off of self-center; enlarge your heart/horizon to include others.
How I can grow Generosity: 2. Care beyond me. The character Ben from the animated movie Barnyard said: “Big men take care of themselves, bigger men take care of others.” Don’t get me wrong, learning to care for yourself is an important step in developing maturity. Self-care is a significant step towards maturity –but growth can’t stop there! Unfortunately, for many in our culture, it gets arrested at that point –developmentally, and spiritually. Case in point: you can claim to love God and have a heart still gripped by greed, selfishness, indifference to others. You can “use” God as a self-improvement tool; a form of self-help religion. Sadly, much of what I see on Christian TV is sanctified selfishness centered around how God can bless me, improve my life, enrich me monetarily, increase my health, mental health, and sense of well-being. True Christianity will not permit you to remain on self-center! Jesus ripped on the religious of his day for constructing a spiritual system which allowed them to remain stuck on self-center: “you Pharisees burnish the surface of your cups and plates so they sparkle in the sun, but I also know your insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil. Stupid Pharisees! Didn’t the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.” (Luke 11:39-41 TOC) Jesus is saying: open your hearts; don’t just use God to improve you personally, but let God use you to help others! In this same vein, the Scriptures urge you and I to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:3-5) How do you practically look to the interests of others? Look for –become aware of & sensitive to—others’ needs.
Here’s another TIP: Include others in my prayers, thoughts, plans If I’ve learned a lot about this from my wife Sondra: giving is her love language and she’s always on the alert for the needs of others. She listens for needs, lists needs, and looks to meet those needs as she shops for our family’s needs. She shops with others in mind. Their needs are included in her thoughts and plans. This is a practical way to care beyond me.
How I can grow Generosity: 3. Give beyond me. Jesus challenges our culture’s ethic that getting is better than giving. He says: If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. Mark 8:34-35 NLT Jim Elliott (the missionary who’s life the movie the “End of The Spear” is about) said “he is a fool who does not give what he cannot keep, in order to gain what he cannot lose.”
Jesus himself said you’re a fool to just focus in #1 and never reserve any resources for anyone else. Read about it in his story of the Rich fool in Luke chapter 16. In contrast, God’s prophet Isaiah notes that “generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. (Isaiah 32:8 NCV) How do you plan to do what is generous?
TIP: Budget to give Create time, energy, money, resource reserves to invest in others. Reserve a reserve for others. It means living on less than you make, making room in your busy schedule for others, and saying no to work in order to say yes to needs.
How I can grow Generosity: 4. Serve beyond me (others besides me) Serving is the exit from self-absorption. Serving others will move you off of self-center. You, my brothers, were called to be free. (Free from having to earn God’s approval). But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:12-14). We learned last week the importance of love, and that love is shown in Caring, in serving others. In the next 4 Sunday mornings we’re going to look at How you can show you care to your family, neighbors, the needy, and the world. The heart is a terrible thing to waste. If you simply set your sites on “getting,” and not giving, you’ll shrink your soul! If you focus on consumption rather than contribution, it will constrict your character! Self is the smallest target to aim for in life. If you choose to center your life around yourself, don’t be surprised if you become self-consumed. The exit is to open your heart –to God (his plans and purposes) and to others and their needs.
Jesus is looking for people and churches who have His heart: to see, care for, give to, and serve the needs of others. He directs us to go and show His love to our families, neighbors, the needy, and our world by giving the gift of “me” to them.
TIP: List known needs; meet one; repeat. If you’ll look, listen (and ask when suspicious) God will reveal to you the needs around you. You’ll then have a choice: to involve and invest yourself, or to ignore and indulge yourself. Here’s an axiom I live by: do what you can with what you have where you’re at right now. One can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Better yet, become intentional and ASK someone if they need any help; ask those around you: your family, neighbors, co-workers, classmates. Generosity grows your hearts, and it also grows your relationships. So, if you desire to become rich in character and in friends, grow generosity –it’ll grow you.
For Further Study: 2 Corinthians chapter 9.
Character Study: Barnabbas in the book of Acts.
OUTLINE INSERT:
Giving The Gift of “Me” --Growing Generosity
Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! Proverbs 21:26, New Living Translation.
..we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
--St. Paul, Acts 20:35, NLT
What benefits does generosity bring?
A. Generosity brings ___________________
Sociological evidence: The Healing Power of Doing Good, Alan Luks
’You’re far happier giving than getting.” Acts 20:35 (The Message)
B. Generosity ___________________________
See Luke 6:38
Frees From:________________________________
I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6
C.Generosity enables you to _______________________________________
It is good to be kind and generous. Psalm 112:5 (NIV)
God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7b (NIV)
God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won’t soon be forgotten. In hard times, they’ll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they’ll be full. Wicked borrows and never returns; Righteous gives and gives. Generous gets it all in the end; Stingy is cut off at the pass. Psalm 37:18-19, 21-22
(The Message)
Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.
Dale Evans
How I can grow Generosity:
1. __________________________________
don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Excerpts: Matthew 6:25-33, MSG
TIP:____________________________________
2. ___________________beyond me.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus… Philippians 2:3-5
TIP: Include others in my_____________________
3. ___________________beyond me.
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. Mark 8:34-35 NLT
..generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. Isaiah 32:8 NCV
TIP: ___________________________________
4. ___________________beyond me.
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:12-14
TIP:_________________________________
Further Study: 2 Corinthians chapter 9; Character Study: “Barnabbas” book of Acts
