Meditations

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

“Research conducted over the past few decades provides strong evidence of intrinsic generous behaviors in children. This evidence suggests that generosity is deeply rooted in human psychology—that the instinct to help others is at least partially innate and not purely the product of social and cultural conditioning. Indeed, some research suggests that these instincts may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Fascinating! Yesterday we saw the science teach us that God wired us to give and that giving is crucial to our survival.

Today we find that generosity is innate, that means it’s inborn, natural, what God made us to do, and the instincts “may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.” No wonder Jesus said we must receive the kingdom not just like a child but like a “little child.”

As we age, we see the brokenness of the world, and fears can limit our giving and sharing. The world around us moderates our thinking and our actions. But what if we try to remember what it is like to be a little child? Back in time we trusted our parents to supply everything.

We did not worry about anything. We did not even know what worry was! That’s how God wants us to trust Him.

Take a moment today to think or even journal along these lines. Ponder how social factors may have moderated your generosity. Resolve to return to your innate tendencies and trust God like a little child. Perhaps identify some challenge or issue or need about which you need to trust God?

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

“There is growing evidence that the human brain is wired for generosity. Several studies have found evidence that when people help others, their brains show activity in fundamental neural circuits such as those that underlie parental caregiving. Acting generously also appears to stimulate the neural circuits involved in reward, the same circuits that are activated when we eat food or have sex, which helps to explain why giving feels good. This neural response is also a sign that generosity is important for survival—when an act feels good, we’re more likely to do it again—and thus…the behaviors that are most fundamental to our survival also tend to make us feel good.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

Two phrases from today’s research struck me.

Firstly, the fact that studies show we were “wired for generosity” reveals the image of God in us. God is the first Giver and He made us to give. He wired us to give.

When Jenni and I bought our home, it was wired for the highest available internet speeds in Colorado. Pretty cool. But if we don’t use that wiring, it’s useless. God made each one of us to give but does not force us to do it, we need to do it. This reveals the link to the second idea.

Secondly, giving is necessary for our survival. Again, God does not force us to give, we need to do it for our own well being.

Each Tuesday Jenni spends the morning with our granddaughter. This gift of her time helps our son and daughter-in-law, but it also helps our granddaughter grow. Without giving within a family unit none of us would survive. The same is true in all of life. We need to give for our survival.

God wired us to give, it’s necessary for our survival, and it feels good. So, what are ways you can grow in giving to use that wiring, to thrive, and feel great in the process.

Name one thing and go do it today.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

“People are much more likely to help an identified specific person rather than an abstract or anonymous individual, and they’re more likely to help individuals than groups.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

As I continue my modern research, this sentence in the opening part of Allen’s white paper struck me. It makes sense. People are more likely to aid a specific person. Then I thought about the implications of this.

No wonder Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” and not “Love our neighborhood.” Had he said the latter, most of us would have given up before getting started. But we can picture our neighbor. It’s one person.

Ask God if there is a specific person in your life He wants you to help right now. Does a person come to mind? If so, query what that might look like. Or imagine connecting your church or ministry constituents with a specific person.

When we do this, we increase the likelihood of a response, and we just might help those we serve get on a path, a trajectory of living, giving, loving, and serving generously. Make it so, Lord Jesus.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

“Relatedness: Helping others may be most emotionally rewarding when it satisfies the fundamental need for social connection… Competence: Prosocial spending is most likely to satisfy the need for competence when people can see how their generous actions have made a difference… Autonomy: Because the need for autonomy is satisfied when people feel that their actions are freely chosen, the emotional benefits of prosocial spending should be greater when people have a choice about whether to give…

Taken together, this research suggests that the emotional benefits of prosocial spending are likely to be greatest when giving satisfies the needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy.When prosocial spending fails to increase happiness – in everyday life or in a psychology experiment – consider whether the giving opportunity could be redesigned to increase the likelihood that one or more of these needs is satisfied. By doing so, charities can maximize the emotional benefits of giving for their donors, potentially increasing the likelihood of repeat donations; the happier people feel when reflecting on previous prosocial spending, the more likely they are to spend on others in the future.”

Elizabeth W., Dunn, Lara B. Aknin, and Michael I. Norton in “Prosocial Spending and Happiness: Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off.” Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Today’s Scripture reminds me that God loves it when people cheerfully give and when God’s workers encourage autonomous, voluntary giving.

And the data affirms this. At least the point on autonomy. People don’t like to be manipulated into giving.

Also, the research suggests that God’s workers redesign communications as needed to be sure to encourage relatedness and to demonstrate competence.

Relatedness links to moving beyond inviting people to give, to inviting them to join you in God’s work.

And competence relates to demonstrating clearly that the engagement and projected actions will in fact make a difference and bring about transformation.

That said, each of us in Christian ministry who encourage need to take notes here.

Let us inspire voluntary participation in God’s work while demonstrating competence and specific impact. This will grow giving and in many cases, start people on a journey of generosity.

This follow’s Paul’s example. We can see givers learn that God is able to bless them as they grow in this grace.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11

“Prosocial spending is most likely to satisfy the need for competence when people can see how their generous actions have made a difference. Thus, individuals may experience a bigger happiness boost from giving to charities that make it easy to see the positive impact of donations.

For example, both UNICEF and Spread the Net are deserving charities dedicated to improving children’s health in impoverished areas of the world, but Spread the Net offers a clear, concrete promise: For every $10 donated, the charity will provide a bed net to protect a child at risk of malaria. When participants were given the opportunity to donate money to Spread the Net, those who donated more money felt happier, controlling for their happiness before the donation.

In contrast, giving money to UNICEF provided no such benefit. People derive greater happiness from prosocial spending when they feel like effective, competent helpers whose actions have made a real difference.”

Elizabeth W., Dunn, Lara B. Aknin, and Michael I. Norton in “Prosocial Spending and Happiness: Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off.” Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Our Scripture today provides a tangible example of giving. The one who has two shirts can envision the sharing of a shirt with someone who has none. The research shows that John the Baptist was on to something. This type of call to action engages a relatable response.

From the research, it makes sense that while both organizations in serve children in poor countries, UNICEF and Spread the Net, the impact of $10 to provide a mosquito net brings added benefit to the giver. They gain satisfaction seeing what their gift accomplished.

How can we do that at our churches and ministries? We must think of tangible ways to show people things they can give or the impact they can have with specific gifts. I think this helps get people who may not be giving to start to develop a habit or pattern of giving.

For example, right now, I am praying for God’s provision of $19,100 for Palmful of Maize. But if I stop there you are not inspired. But what if I tell you that that will spread the generosity training to the last 5 districts in Malawi at a cost of $3,820 per district. It still looks too big for some.

Imagine that $3,820 sends a team of 5 people to a remote district of Malawi and about $820 covers the cost of their travel, meals, and lodging for a week. The other $3,000 covers the cost of bringing together, all of tribal and community officials, pastors, and Sunday school teachers over three days.

We reimburse their bus fares and feed them. This gets them to come from the corners of each district. In each district, we engage about 42 churches and nearly 1,000 children directly. So at GTP, for about $3, the price of a coffee, you can train a child to “give God what you have.” That’s tangible.

It’s growing giving and growing the church in Malawi as children engage their friends. Check out the video here to see the impact. Give $3, $3,820, or $19,100 toward the Palmful of Maize effort here. Or pray with me for these funds to deploy the team now as it’s harvest season.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28

“Our initial research on prosocial spending and happiness was conducted in North America, where people enjoy a level of wealth that is highly atypical compared to living
conditions experienced throughout human history and much of the world today. As a result, the emotional benefits of giving might be dampened or eliminated in countries where many people are still struggling to meet their own basic needs.

If, however, people derive emotional benefits from prosocial spending even in poorer countries, then this would provide evidence that the warm glow of giving may be a fundamental component of human nature. Aknin et al examined the correlation between charitable giving and happiness in 136 countries.

In 120 out of 136 countries, there was a positive relationship between giving and happiness (controlling for income and other demographic variables), and this relationship was significant in a majority of countries. Although the strength of the relationship varied between countries, individuals in poor and rich countries alike reported greater happiness if they engaged in prosocial spending.”

Elizabeth W., Dunn, Lara B. Aknin, and Michael I. Norton in “Prosocial Spending and Happiness: Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off.” Current Directions in Psychological Science.

As I continue my modern research on giving, today we go global to see if prosocial spending, that is, stewarding resources to the core needs of others, brings greater happiness than spending on ourselves.

With this demonstrated in 120 of 136 countries, we find that “the warm glow of giving may be a fundamental component of human nature.” Back to the Garden of Eden, we see that God made us “to be fruitful, to multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.”

How might this modern finding relate to this ancient verse?

From the beginning of humanity, God made the first humans and gave them a charge to contribute to the good of more humans while stewarding the resources of the earth. We find this to be our core calling and reason for existence.

That means you and I are on the earth to work and contribute to the good of others through our stewardship of creation. This brings faithful stewardship, abundant generosity, and creation care all into view.

And to bring it back to today, this encourages my work with GTP. Our 10 staff, 12 board members, 12 regional facilitators, 30 country coordinators, and network of 6,250 stewards are making progress in collaborating around the world to empower national workers to build trust and grow local giving in 123 countries and counting because God made us to give.

I want to try to dig deeper to see what’s going on in the 16 countries where giving for the good of others brought less happiness.

Why? I want the whole world to know the joy of generosity. Include GTP in your monthly giving to help in this huge task. Set it up here.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

“While a great deal of research has shown that people with more money are somewhat happier than people with less money, our research demonstrates that how people spend their money also matters for their happiness.

In particular, both correlational and experimental studies show that people who spend money on others report greater happiness. The benefits of such prosocial spending emerge among adults around the world, and the warm glow of giving can be detected even in toddlers.

These benefits are most likely to emerge when giving satisfies one or more core human needs. The rewards of prosocial spending are observable in both the brain and the body and can potentially be harnessed by organizations and governments.”

Elizabeth W., Dunn, Lara B. Aknin, and Michael I. Norton in “Prosocial Spending and Happiness: Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off.” Current Directions in Psychological Science.

As I continue my modern research, I find more information that may interest Christians in the generosity space.

For example, this study demonstrates that how people steward or spend their money for the good of others, that is, in prosocial ways to satisfy the core human needs of others, brings more happiness than spending it on themselves.

God made us to give. Jesus Himself said it is better to give then receive. But notice the parallel with one of the most famous Scriptures in the Bible.

God loved us so much He gave His only Son. We get to follow suit and sacrifice our of love for others, to meet their core needs, like He met ours. So the research reveals that we can achieve greater happiness when we follow His example for the good of others.

Think about examples in your life. A small child has a core need so you don’t flinch to supply it and find great joy in doing so. A friend experiences hardship so you sacrifice to help them get back on their feet. Perhaps you can think of other examples?

Live simply and allow margin to give generously to meet prosocial needs and you just might discover happiness beyond estimation.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

“Money can buy happiness — if you spend it on others, research suggests.

Imagine you’re really selfish. How should you spend your resources to maximize your happiness? Instead of buying more stuff for yourself, research suggests that giving to people or causes you care about is more likely to do the trick.

Giving not only helps others, but it also rewards yourself in measurable ways, so much so that it may even increase your lifespan. People seem to understand this intuitively…

A growing body of research has revealed numerous psychological and physiological benefits of giving, challenging common conceptions about the relationship between money and happiness.

In 2008, for example, Norton and his colleagues conducted a study where they gave $5 or $20 to people and then instructed them to spend it either on themselves or someone else.

Later that evening, the researchers checked in with the participants to see how they felt emotionally. The group that gave money to others reported feeling happier over the course of the day. What’s more, the results showed no emotional difference between people who received $5 and those who got $20.”

Stephen Johnson in “How generosity changes your brain” Big Think and Neurosych Post dated 17 August 2021.

Luke records Paul reminding us that “It is better to give than receive.”

As Johnson notes, “people seem to understand this intuitively,” but now research is proving it. And to me the best part of this is the comment linked to $5 and $20.

Think of the implications of this for givers everywhere in the world.

Whether we give two pennies or two thousand dollars, giving enhances and impacts the life of the giver. Or as others have put it, “God does not need our money. We need to give it.”

When we do, it shapes and changes us.

I will share more of this research tomorrow, but for now, instead of buying something, make a gift somewhere today. Consider GTP as we plan program work in Costa Rica and Colombia, two new countries, later this month.

Click here to give. Whether you give $5 or $20, your gift will empower national worker to build trust and grow local giving. And it will increase your happiness.

You can cherish the thought that your gift will build the capacity of each of the ministries served by each worker, and it will grow your joy. If you want to multiply impact to workers serving the poor and needy in these place, give generously instead of making a purchase today.

And pause to see how you feel about this decision at the end of the day. Who knows? It might feel so good that you might just repeat the action tomorrow too.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

“Whereas philosophers pondered on the essence of generosity for years, and economists studied generosity as a set of strategies guiding people’s behavior in situations where resources are limited, little empirical research studied its psychological aspects such as decision making processes. Even less research has investigated the enhancement of generosity…

People high on attachment avoidance were less likely to experience the positive affective outcomes of generosity; whereas people high on attachment anxiety tended to experience more negative feelings associated with generous encounters. Furthermore, attachment avoidance was negatively associated with the tendency to behave generously within close relationships.

This shows that attachment avoidance associates with the tendency to be generous, potentially because avoidance attenuates the rewarding aspects of generosity. Whereas anxiety was also associated with the emotional aspects of generosity, it was not associated with behaving generously. These findings are in line with past research on attachment style and prosocial constructs, showing that avoidance predicts the behavioral tendency, whereas anxiety associates with motivations and emotions.”

Gillath, Atchley, Imran, and El-Hodiri in “Examining the Experience and Enhancement of Generous Behavior via Attachment Security” research presented at the International Association for Relationship Research Conference in Chicago, IL in 2012.

I’ve shifted my focus for the foreseeable future from ancient to modern research related to generosity.

Yesterday’s study opened up research on attachment and generosity. Again, most studies show four kinds of attachment: Anxious (or Preoccupied), Avoidant (or Dismissive), Disorganized (or Fear-Avoidant), and Secure.

We find that the research shows that avoidant attachment results in less generosity and the more secure people feel, the more generous they become. It makes sense.

The piece that seems to make everything pivot is anxiety. Anxiety limits, hinders, dampens, slows, and can even thrwart generosity. The research proves it.

No wonder the Apostle Peter instructed us to give our anxieties to the Lord! He cares for us better than we could ever care for ourselves. Next I may pivot to see the connection between anxiety and wealth.

I wonder if people who hold on to more money, as containers, have more anxiety than those who have less and who serve as conduits of blessing. It seems that giving really does help us take hold of life.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

“Together the three studies provide robust and consistent support to our proposition that attachment style associates with generosity, and that the enhancement of attachment security leads to increased generosity. We were able to both assess and manipulate attachment on the one hand and assess different aspects of generosity (emotional, motivational, and behavioral) on the other. This enabled us to take advantage of both the experimentally controlled observations as well as behavior under naturalistic real-world settings…Overall, our studies showed that avoidance was associated with less generosity, and making people more secure, or providing them with mental resources resulted in more generous behavior.”

Gillath, Atchley, Imran, and El-Hodiri in “Examining the Experience and Enhancement of Generous Behavior via Attachment Security” research presented at the International Association for Relationship Research Conference in Chicago, IL in 2012.

I’ve shifted my focus for the foreseeable future from ancient to modern research related to generosity.

And the header photo reflects a cool new cabinet in our home which looks like the front of research library.

Today’s study looks attachment and generosity. Most studies show four kinds of attachment: Anxious (or Preoccupied), Avoidant (or Dismissive), Disorganized (or Fear-Avoidant), and Secure.

The research shows that avoidant attachment results in less generosity and the more secure people feel, the more generous they become. It makes sense.

And, for those of us who want to encourage greater generosity, the study shows we should provide people of all attachments with mental resources to help them grow in security.

Consider the impact of verses like today’s Scripture!

Rather than be anxious or fearful of the future, we can be generous today because we know our Father in heaven cares for our needs.

How might you help people feel more secure to help them grow in generosity?