How Can We Be Generous…With More Than Just Money?

Hi, friends. This post is prompted by my conversation with a friend about her pastor pushing her to share her gifts. The exchange got me contemplating how we can be generous in the body of Christ.

The Conversation

My friend, a wonderful singer, complained that her pastor constantly pushes her to perform at church. She went on to proudly declare that she would never sing there again if the pastor asked her one more time.

I hope my internal reaction doesn’t seem holier-than-thou, but I couldn’t help thinking that her defiant attitude towards glorifying God with her gifts was…err…a little “off.” I tried to give a balanced response and said something along these lines:

“While it is wrong to be pushy to the point of aggressive, I can’t condemn a pastor for encouraging their congregants to use their spiritual gifts. In fact, I believe that is an integral part of their job.”

Musings on Generosity

We struggle with greed. Scripture says that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). People often think “greed” and “generosity” refer to money, but we actually have things more valuable than dollar bills to give to the kingdom of God. One of the most priceless gifts in the world is time, which we tend to hoard. Here is a list of things we can be generous with:

• Money
• Time
• Patience
• Listening
• Gifts, talents, skills, knowledge
• Forgiveness
• Kindness
• Etc.

Perhaps it is wrong to be pushy, but I wonder–how many people need a good push?

Wake up, sleeper!

The days of our lives fly by, then boom, they are over. What will we have to show for ourselves when all is said and done? Did we truly pursue God and glorify Him with our lives, or did we make excuses–we’re too busy, too tired, too young, too old, too shy, too inadequate to share our gifts, our time, and our love? How many of us will be surprised to learn Jesus wasn’t just referring to sitting in a pew or tithing regularly when He said, “Take up your cross and follow me?”

We each have ways we can be generous and glorify God with our lives. Our pastors and lay leaders should not have to push us to get involved and engaged; we should cheerfully give our time and gifts for the body of Christ.

[Sidenote: Self-care is important; we can’t say “yes” to everything. I don’t advocate running one’s self ragged. God ordained a sabbath (a day of rest) from the beginning of creation.]

Thanks for reading! What are your spiritual gifts? How do you try to be generous with more than just money? Let me know in the comments.

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