Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 1 Timothy 6:18
“Timothy is advised to encourage the rich to “be generous and willing to share.” It is not only our acts of service but also our financial generosity that enables us to think sanely about who we are, what we have, and what we want. Generosity is at the core of the satisfied life.
This makes a lot of sense to me. One way to combat the grip money has on my heart is to consistently, faithfully, and generously give it away. The most anti-accumulation thing an affluent person can do is to systematically give money away.
The discipline of giving frees my heart from a growing infatuation with my stuff. Giving is the natural outflow of the thankful heart. Sharing is living in step with a God whose heart is wildly generous.”
Jeff Manion in Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013) 132-133.
Today I am thankful for my friends, Tom and Jaime Schell, who are sharing their flat in Sydney with me for the weekend to get some work done and finish edits to a book project before heading home for Christmas.
As God has blessed each of us this year, let’s resolve to follow God’s leading in doing acts of service and in making year-end financial gifts as a “natural overflow” in response to God’s generosity to us!