A Spirit of Giving
Generosity and Gratitude
Reflection By Scott Stoner
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Money is often a topic that many people find difficult to discuss. One person who did not find money hard to talk about was Jesus. He often taught about this topic, reminding us that where our treasure is, there also will be our heart (Matthew 6:21).
The apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy that “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Note that he did not say that money is the root of all evil. Money is neutral. What we do with money and what kind of attachment we have to it can be a faithful expression of Jesus’ teachings—or not.
At its heart, when we share our money with others, we express our deepest values. To give financially says that we believe in what we are giving to. When we give to strangers, to someone who is struggling, to our church, to a friend or family member in need, to a community effort, or to a cause we are passionate about, we express our care and our desire to help others thrive. We are saying we believe in them and we are expressing our love and God’s love through our giving.
As the verse at the top of this reflection reminds us, we want our giving to be motivated by joy and by our love both for God and our neighbor. God values a sincere and cheerful giver more than one motivated by guilt or duty. Financial generosity is one way we practice generosity—making thoughtful, intentional decisions about how we organize and use our resources.
Daily Gratitude Practice: As an expression of gratitude related to financial generosity, list three experiences where you have had the honor to either give or receive generosity in the form of money.