I do not share this story to claim generosity, but to testify that God blesses generosity. Jesus put it simply like this: “You have been treated generously, so live generously.” (Matt 10:8 MSG) The idea is that if everyone were generous, the whole world would benefit. It has been the personal experience of millions that when they have given generously, they have seen God provide the resources, so that they could continue to give generously. 

My family of origin, and my current family, have always been in the mid to lower income brackets. But we have still been careful to give regularly – primarily through our local church. In other words, we didn’t give because we had a lot; we gave because generosity is a Biblical principle. Seven years ago, our church was raising funds to give to missions. I did not have savings from which I could give any substantial contribution, but I wanted to be a part of the project. My wife and I prayed about how we could be involved and decided to forfeit our ministerial salary for several months as a way of contributing to the project. This required a significant tightening of our belt, but it was something we felt strongly about. 

There may have been people who were aware of our giving, but, as life-long givers, we have learned that giving for the approval of others is not only wrong, but people don’t validate that kind of giving as much as one might think. So, we were not giving for recognition. In this case, we truly felt like we were investing in a project that was bigger than us, and we also felt like God was challenging us to do so. Many others gave sacrificially, and our assembly was able to give a record offering to the cause of telling the “Good News” to the whole world, as well as to several local causes.

Later that year my wife and I were finally able to sell the home we had spent many years remodeling. It had been on the market for four years and no one had even made an offer. With the sale of our home, we were then able to purchase our “forever home.” As we searched for our new home, we found one that had been on the market for a good while and needed some work. It was owned by a bank and was on sale for much less than it was worth. Although it was a good deal, we made an offer for quite a bit less than their asking price and they accepted. As a result, we were able to purchase the house for many thousands less than we should have paid had we paid market value. 

It took me a few months, but I later connected the dots: A few months after I gave my greatest contribution, I closed on the best deal of my life. The amount of money saved exceeded the amount of money I had given. Thereby proving the old adage: “You can’t outgive the Lord.” I am convinced that although we should not give to get, we can bank on the fact that generosity will come back to bless us.