This post requires a delicate balancing act. I am a missionary who works overseas and 100% of my salary comes from freewill offerings that people give to their local churches. My family is supported completely by the generosity of others. I am grateful for each and every one of those gifts.
From May – August 2009 my family visited churches all across Canada and the United States. Time and time again we were recipients of the generosity of others. Without asking, people literally gave us hundreds of dollars. For that I am appreciative and humble.
Nevertheless, the entire time a question kept surfacing in my mind – what is the difference between being wealthy and being generous? Schools that receive large gifts thank donors for their generous gifts. Churches congratulate congregations for their generosity when they reach a goal on a special fund raising project. Living amongst the world’s poor, I have seen a woman take a bowl of rice and give it to a neighbor. And no one applauds that action. The gift is not considered noteworthy because it is lacking a large number of zeros. Often it is really only the rich who have the opportunity to be ‘generous’ in the eyes of many. Unfortunately, I forget to recognize that the bowl of rice is an exceedingly more generous gift than a multitude of dollars.
We might say things like – Bill Gates is such a generous man because he has given however many billion dollars to charity. Yet, rarely will we say that a poor person was so generous because she gave a coat to a friend. Generosity is not determined by a dollar amount. Instead generosity is determined by the level of sacrifice. I want to continue to receive gifts from wealthy people because I want to continue to eat :). On the other hand, I want to recognize the smaller financial gifts and regard them also as an equally generous act.
This begs the question: How do you know if someone is generous or just wealthy?
Fortunately, the Bible releases each of us from being the judge on the matter. We are released from the responsibility of judging others, but instead the question is: am I generous or just wealthy? This is the question God places on each of our consciences.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV)
Ultimately, there is no point in my asking if Bill Gates is really generous or just wealthy. There is little functional value for me question if a person’s action was generous or just their wealthy overflow. But, man, I will get a lot of useful insight if I ask myself am I generous or just wealthy? I pray that God will help you to be both wealthy and generous.
What are some of the most generous things you have experienced? How do you resolve the generous or just wealthy question?
When my husband and I were first married, our parents helped us with generosity Now that we are established, we try to help our siblings out. Sometimes it’s not money, but a meal once or twice a week, or some other mode of help. In the end, I think it’s more about giving back. I don’t worry much about what other people do; instead I focus on my donations to church and charity, and how I am helping my family and friends.
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I was expecting this quote;
Luke 21:1-4 1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: 4 for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had.
Your post does prompt some thought. I am selfish, I put my own family’s comfort above charity. I’m not proud of that, it’s just where I am right now. On the other hand, the number you’d see on my Sch A cash donations indicate a part of me knows that charity is important. I’ll not count giving old clothing and toys, etc, just cash looks like about 5% of income. And we try to maintain that regardless of the economy.
I respect your work and choices above that of myself, but I do credit Gates with the shear number of lives he’s saved in his own charitable work.
I wish you well.
Joe
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Thanks as always, Craig, for the great post!
This article was a wakeup call from my self focused lifestyle. My wife and I have been so extremely focused on paying off debt that sometimes I’m not sure if I would see opportunities to help others in need. I’m not sure that our giving would be called a sacrifice, we have everything that we need and more. Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,and renew a right spirit within me.”
Fantastic post, Craig! What a great reminder that generosity should never solely be measured in monetary terms, and that the poorest among us are oftentimes more generous than our wealthiest benefactors.
My $0.02 (after taxes)
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
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I should have mentioned that any time I ask the wealthy or generous question I often find a big fat log in my own eye.
This is something I have pondered for decades. But, yes, “There is little functional value for me [or anyone] [to] question if a person’s action was generous or just their wealthy overflow.”
The utilitarian school of moral philosophy says that motives (the inner) are not important. The result (the outer) is the thing. Only God can take measure of a person’s heart. I just try to stick to my business.
Thanks, for your blog.
Great post!! It is a challenge and I have to agree with Craig about finding a big log in my own eye. But the more I read Scripture and understand it, the more I see God’s heart for the poor, the weak and the downtrodden and His call for generosity (regardless of $) to them.
I really like the point about giving a bowl of rice or a coat – it’s not the size of the gift, but perhaps our heart attitude towards those we help.
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Fantastic post Craig, this is something my wife and I talk about, which is sacrificially giving rather than “we’ll take care of that when we are out of debt, or have more money.” Not that we are in dire straits but tithing and giving out of adversity has reaped blessings for us in so many ways from God. Not necessarily monetarily but personally and in my own walk. Very well said.
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I understand the point you are trying to make (i.e. we should recognize and be grateful for even small gifts) but wouldn’t ANY amount being given freely be generous? After all, wealthy or poor, no one is obligated to give you anything. Yes, of course, it is more of a sacrifice to give out of poverty than out of abundance, but does that necessarily mean that the money Warren Buffet or Bill Gates gives is not generous? Do you define generous by some arbitrary standard such as “more than your 10%”?
Thanks for the post Craig. I love the fact that this blog publicly discussed money + faith + heart issues. I’ve been reminded of something similar recently, which is this: we should use money to help people and not use people to make money. Big difference between the two.
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i think that it is possible to be both generous and wealthy but it is true what you have said that we seem to say that rich people are generous because they give a lot. there is a place in the bible that says that the rich people were giving because of their abundance but the poor woman gave more because it was in her poverty. so i think that most rich people give because we have something to spare. the real test is whether we will still give when our companies are nationalised and our stock tanks. nice post btw. got me thinking about stuff
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Very convicting post because it is easy to give and be more like the rich men in the temple dropping in a huge sum of money and be so proud of ourselves but yet it was the poor widow that gave all that she had that Jesus praised for her giving.
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