The Power Of Generosity

A while back my family and I experienced some very difficult times. We were having health and financial problems that were beyond our control. We received some help, not from a church or institution, but from a few generous people who stepped in. Because of those caring people, I’m a better person today. I’m a more generous individual.

I think people whose lifestyles are marked by generosity become miraculous forces for good in the world, inviting God’s love to flow through them and into the lives of other people to change them for the better. You can become one of those people!

Here are five steps I am developing to become a more generous person:

Let gratitude lead to generosity. Make an inventory list of your blessings, taking a few minutes to write down everything you can think of for which you’re grateful (from your friends and family members to the food you eat and the air you breathe). Then study the list to realize how much you have. In gratitude, let your response be generous giving.

Decide to serve a cause that’s greater than your own life: making the world a better place. Reach out to other people -- rather than resenting the time, energy, money, and inconveniences that can be involved. I would just start with one person or maybe one family. Keep it simple.

Help other people regardless of your current circumstances. If you don’t have much money, you could give some of your time. If you possess a special talent, consider how to use it to contribute to others. There is always make a way for you and I to give.

Incorporate service into your lifestyle. Look for opportunities  to help meet needs every day. Be creative about ways to fit more service into your life, such as by transforming some of your daily activities into acts of service or using money you would have spent to buy something for yourself to buy a gift for someone else instead.

Look beyond just those you love. Don’t limit your generosity only to the people you know and love. Also be willing to reach out to strangers, people who make you uncomfortable, and those who can’t reciprocate. Challenge yourself to remember that, if you believe God has made every human being on the planet in his image , you need to reach out to all the people you encounter with his love. When you do, miracles may happen in the lives of the people you help, and in your own life, as well.

This is still a work in progress in my life but I’m seeing cool things happen.
Do you have any creative ideas on how to be a more generous person?