Archives by: Gary Hoag

“No matter what the motive, research shows that generosity directly benefits the well-being of those who give. A study from the University of Oregon demonstrated that for many participants, giving activates the same pleasure centers of the brain as receiving. The conclusion is that generosity brings happiness, longevity and popularity. Another research study reported that human beings appear to be genetically disposed to be happiest when they are selflessly giving to others. We tend to be unhealthy when we are devoted to self-gratification. People who emphasize service to others and connection to community, show a pattern of gene expression that results in less inflammation and stronger immunity.”

Lilya Wagner in “Giving Really is More Blessed!” in Dynamic Steward Journal, Jan-Mar 2014, volume 18, number 1, page 15.

It’s it great that cutting edge research reveals that God made us to give. As I get older, this doubly good news because I want to grow in generosity day by day and I am glad to know that such a lifestyle will actually contribute to my ongoing good health.

No wonder Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When we give fulfill our purpose and imitate our Maker. I am convinced that we are never more like Christ than when we lovingly, cheerfully and sacrificially, give.

“God blesses each one of us with different gifts that are proportionate with our abilities and our surroundings. His ultimate goal is to bless us in order that we may be channels of His blessings to the world. Material prosperity is far from God’s greatest blessing. His generosity, however, is manifested in His grace, in His forgiveness, and in the outpouring of His Spirit. As we receive of His spiritual gifts, we are called to impart them to those around us. John 15:12-13 reminds us that a self sacrificing life lived for the benefit of others is the greatest expression of love–God’s greatest gift to us.”

Tim Nagy in “The Blessing of Blessing” in Dynamic Steward Journal, Jan-Mar 2014, volume 18, number 1, page 14.

This idea is transforming the hearts of Honduran leaders this week, and it’s valuable for all of us. Rather than focus on what we don’t have, let us be faithful with whatever God has proportionately measured out to us. In so doing, this will often position us for further provision from God and cause us to be channels of blessing to the world.

This advice was given to Ben Rae, a church planter as well as a stewardship and prayer director, from a million dollar giver.

“He shared with me how he came to the place where he was able to give away a million dollars in one year. Although he is a millionaire now, he had started giving generously as a young man when he had very little. He proceeded to share with me two pieces of biblical financial advice he has followed for years. He attributed his wealth to a large degree to these two principles–principles that I call “the million dollar advice.”

The first principle is to count every cent (keep a disciplined budget). The second principle is to be a generous giver (don’t be limited to 10%).

He said that he and his wife decided to do this when they started with nothing. They allocated a tiny “spending money” budget for themselves, stuck to their budget and were determined to give much more. He shared how in those days he kept a tally of their budget in a notebook. Today he keeps that as a memento, symbolizing the foundation of discipline that God gave him. That simple practice was foundational for their financial success.

Ben Rae in Dynamic Steward Journal, Jan-Mar 2014, volume 18, number 1, page 8.

I just love the simplicity and scalability of this, especially while teaching church and educational leaders in Honduras this week. Even when we start with nothing, our stewardship is linked to what we have and our generosity must not stop at a percentage. As we are blessed, we must carefully steward and generously share! Start small and let God grow it! What great biblical financial advice for the whole world!

“Generosity begins with God, not with us. Our generosity, whether it be with time, talent, or treasure, is first made possible because of God’s generosity. It was clearly seen in the sacrifice of Jesus. How ironic! Out of His poverty we are provided with opportunities to be rich with our own generosity. The danger, of course, lies in the temptation to assume that it is we who are generous. We must remember that generosity is not so much a virtuous act on our part, but rather a virtuous response to what God has done and is doing.”

Larry R. Evans in Dynamic Steward Journal, Jan-Mar 2014, volume 18, number 1, page 2.

Lord, open our eyes to see how generous you have been to us. In response, help us become people who receive from your abundance and go forth in this broken and hurting world as generous sharers. May this biblical thinking take root and bear fruit to help transform all who read this.

“God unmistakably connects caring for the poor to His own presence. When we are generous to the poor, we honor the Lord, bear His image, and reflect His heart. Conversely, when we neglect to do so, we taunt our Maker (Prov. 14:31).”

Rob Kuban in “The Poor: A Cornerstone of Christian Generosity” post on 4 December 2011 at Free Money Finance.

Jenni and I will be serving church and Christian school leaders in Honduras this week who are largely poor. Please pray for a safe and fruitful journey.

We are asking God to prepare our hearts for what He will teach us on this trip, because every time we endeavor to serve the poor we are blessed beyond whatever we offer.

Don’t neglect the poor around you but be generous to them. And don’t be surprised if the blessing you receive from Christ far outweighs your humble service.

In the first annual ECFA church stewardship survey, here are a few of the findings:

“Spiritual complacency and inadequate understanding of biblical generosity were ranked as the two greatest obstacles to increased giving.

More than two-thirds of churches have no written biblical generosity strategy.

When asked what kind of stewardship training the church provides to staff, board, and volunteers, approximately 40% to 50% of churches said “none.”

Nearly 60 percent said they did not have a written philosophy for teaching people what the Bible says about money and possessions.”

For more helpful insights, visit www.ecfa.org to locate the full report.

What’s this mean for you? What’s your church doing (or not doing) in this vital area? At the very least, we must model and intentionally teach biblical stewardship if we want to help people grow in their practice of Christian generosity.

“Sometimes we behave like children in a toy shop. We want this, and that, and then something else. The many options confuse us and create an enormous restlessness in us. When someone says, “Well, what do you want? You can have one thing. Make up your mind,” we do not know what to choose. As long as our hearts keep vacillating among these many wants, we cannot move forward in life with inner peace and joy. That is why we need inner and outer disciplines, to go beyond these wants and discover our mission in life.”

Henri Nouwen in Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperCollins, 1997) daily reading for 22 April.

What do you want?

I recall my mom telling me that her grandfather would say something like this: “I have everything I need because I have learned to control my wants?” That’s the role of the disciplines: to learn to limit our wants and to keep our focus where it should be.

What do I want? I want what David (the psalmist) said he wanted.

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. Psalm 27:4

I am finding that I can’t even think about being generous if I am not content with Christ and thankful that my basic needs are met (cf. Philippians 4:12-13; 1 Timothy 6:8). I used to think I needed so much. I am learning to control my wants.

I pray these meditations encourage you to this end as well.

“What the sun is for the day, this is what we consider almsgiving to be for fasting: just as the sunbeam makes the day brighter and scatters all the dark clouds, so almsgiving sanctifies the sacredness of fasting and by the light of compassion drives out all death that comes from desire. And in short, what the soul is for the body, this is how generosity is regarded for fasting: for just as the soul by leaving the body kills the body, so too the departure of generosity is the death of fasting.”

Peter Chrysologus in Sermon 8.2.3.

When I live in light of the resurrection, I find myself wanting what Christ wants. When I live according to the flesh, I find myself wanting everything the world offers.

What I love about the discipline fasting beyond Lent and as a part of everyday life is this: it helps us put to death the desires of the flesh and frees us to live generously.

We learn to discern the difference between wants and needs. We become mindful of our own brokenness and become agents of mercy. Through us, Christ’s life shines brightly.

“We do well to distinguish between what we want and what we, in fact, need to be people of the God of the resurrection. When I ask my wife what she wants, she sometimes says, “a brick made out of gold.” That is not going to happen. God is not going to provide such a thing. I am suggesting, however, that we give careful attention to the two resurrection stories in John’s gospel [Lazarus and Jesus]. There we see a generous God who seems to want to do nothing more than to bless us.

Resurrection implies an abundance of life and the ability to provide it. We will be given what we need to live as disciples of the risen Lord. We will be provided with what we need to grow up into Christ. Churches will have what they need to carry out the mission God has called them to. You can count on it–you can build your future on it. As my grandmother used to say, “There will be plenty.”

C. Franklin Brookhart in Living the Resurrection: Reflections After Easter (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2012) excerpt from chapter three.

Are you living out the resurrection reality that you have everything you need to live as a disciple of our risen Lord? If not, what’s holding you back? Fear that God won’t provide? Worry linked to the cares of this world? The best way for us to proclaim the good news of the resurrection of Christ to the world is to live like we believe it.

“A dead Christ, I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me.”

Andrew Murray in Jesus Himself (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1893) 10.

What’s this mean for you and me? Because Jesus is alive, we have life and eternal salvation. So glad we don’t have to try to do good works to earn that!

With joy and gratitude, let us respond with hilarious generosity that imitates Him. Let’s do this not to win God’s favor but in response to it.