10 Examples of Generosity in the Bible and How to Follow Them

-Timothy L. Smith

Among the central themes of the Bible are money and stewardship. And as we see again and again, the Bible is not simply a
historic volume; it’s living and vibrant, and relevant to people’s lives. So, the Bible’s principles of stewardship are actually
inspiring generous giving in our world today.

Let me show you how:

1. Generous people often give more than they are asked to give.
In Exodus 36:1-7, we see God’s people bringing more than enough to meet the need — to the point that Moses must tell
them to stop!

We don’t see too many campaigns today where givers are asked to stop giving! But when it does happen, it’s a special
moment.

Giving to a cause that makes you reach for your very best gift can bring some of the greatest fulfillment you’ll ever know!

2. Generous people give in response to a great cause.

In 2 Corinthians 8-9, we see the Corinthian church giving faithfully to help a community of people whom they have never
met!

One of the most fulfilling things I do every month is read the reports about his progress, his spiritual growth. I will probably
never meet him. But I believe so much in the cause championed by this organization, I can trust them to help this child
through my giving.

3. Generous people give out of their substance, whether large or small.

In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus compares the widow’s mite to the rich man’s gifts — demonstrating that the gifts of all are needed and
used in God’s economy.

This is a well-known story — you’ve probably heard or read it many times — yet it never gets old to me. In my world of
generous giving efforts, and even the big project I’m working on right now, the most powerful moments are when I hear
stories of sacrifice, whether big or small, in people’s giving.

In each and every case, it’s the sacrifice that counts.

Among many major givers these days, there isn’t actually much sacrifice involved in their giving. In spite of the volume of
their contributions, their giving is small, relative to their total capacity. When you come across that person who sets
something else aside in order to help accomplish a key task or vision — that is a special gift!

4. Generous people give more than just their money.

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the classic story of the Good Samaritan — one who gave time, resources, and skill to meet the
need of a man who had been left for dead at the side of the road. The Samaritan makes himself vulnerable and available —
the very definition of hospitality.

Generosity and hospitality are often closely linked.

In today’s culture, I see more and more that generous givers want to give of more than just their financial resources. This is
especially true of younger givers. They want to get their feet on the ground with the causes they’re supporting.
Jump in with whatever you should give — money, time, skills — and see what God will do both in you and through you.

5. Generous people give even when it doesn’t make sense.

In Genesis 45, we find Joseph responding graciously and generously to his family, even when logic would tell him not to.

Sometimes giving to a project or cause makes no sense to anyone but you! Like Joseph, you may have been mistreated or
harmed in some way, by a church or a cause. You still believe in the mission of the organization, but there are hard feelings.

This kind of situation is a real test for me — a “grace check.” It gets at the very heart of my commitment to being a generous
person.

Moving beyond our humanity is the hardest thing to overcome. Setting aside differences in order to help do the right thing
with your generosity is an act of real maturity, true Christ-likeness.

6. Generous people give to help others, even when they differ from one another.
We see it in Luke 7:1-10, as a Gentile builds a Jewish synagogue! Who could have predicted such a donor for such a cause?

Sometimes we’re given opportunities to help people outside of our worldview.

Of course your conscience has to guide you as to how and where to invest your resources, but it’s healthy to keep an open
mind, to genuinely consider the potential of various projects to accomplish something good and valuable, and to imagine
yourself contributing to such an endeavor.

It may become a character-growth opportunity for you ... and a boon to that worthwhile project.

7. Generous people give to see the impossible become possible.

A little boy offered Jesus his meager lunch in Matthew 14:14-21. He only had a few loaves and fishes, and Jesus had 5,000
mouths to feed. But gifts in God’s hands can be — and often are — divinely multiplied to meet the demands of greater
works.

This is one of the greatest-ever giving stories, a beautiful picture of the faith to see something profound happen because of
your gifts.

First and foremost, the young man had enough faith to give his own lunch away! He was risking his own provision, his own
comfort, in the hope of helping others. One boy’s faith is what set in motion the amazing miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000.

Sometimes we have to be willing to imagine something much greater than ourselves in order to get behind a project.

8. Generous people give as a byproduct of their own personal transformation.

The story of Zacchaeus, in Luke 19, is the story of a transformed giver. I love this story: a tax collector forsaking the norm in
order to give — moved by Jesus’ call to come back to God’s ways.

This is the story of someone who morphs from “collector of money” to “giver of money”!

This, in a way, is a picture of redemption — as people rise above their personal limitations and see the supernatural potential
of their own lives through their generous giving.

9. Generous people give out of their own poverty.

We see it in Luke 21:1-4, again, in Jesus’ observations about the widow’s mite:

“He saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their
wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”

It took me years to fully grasp that moment of generous and sacrificial giving.

10. Generous people give when (even) others will not.

In Philippians 4:15-16, the apostle Paul laments the lack of response from the churches he’s encountered.

“Not one church shared with me,” he says. “Only you” — the Christians at Philippi. Even when he was ministering to others,
far away, in Thessalonica, the Philippians were giving to his ministry!

Most givers I’ve known like to be part of a larger giving community. It’s satisfying, perhaps comforting or reassuring, to
know that you’re one of many giving toward a project. Yet sometimes, we are called upon as givers to stand alone, to see a
project through to completion even when others won’t.

This is the kind of situation in which Paul found himself. Others ignored the need, but one church — at Philippi — was
willing to give, to provide the needed support, even if it meant standing alone.

The day may come when you find yourself here too: You look around, and no one else is giving; but something inside you
says, “Go for it.”

Your personal impact can be enormous. And your personal journey can be beautifully enriched for the experience.
Generosity is not something that comes later after you accumulate wealth. It’s something you live out wherever you are in
life today. It’s not something that “shows up” — it’s a lifestyle you cultivate.

Generous people in our culture today are no different from the generous people mentioned in the Bible. Generosity becomes
part of a person’s DNA; it permeates every area of their lives.