There’s a simple truth about those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus. We are a people of uncommon generosity. Why? Because we realize that we are never more like Christ than when we give. One of the central lines of our faith reminds us “For God so loved the world that He gave… He gave His one and only Son.”
We are people of uncommon generosity because we serve a God who is generous in every way. As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving, we remember just how blessed we really are and how generous God our Father has been toward us. He has given us everything.
We are surrounded by voices that tell us in order to be truly happy, we need to acquire more, accumulate more, attain more, and consume more. But Jesus has taught us that the good life, the abundant life, is found in following His teaching and his leading in being generous…because we are never more like Christ than when we give.
Over the past few weeks at Riverside, we’ve been talking about what it means to be people of Uncommon Generosity. You can learn more here about that series. What we want is to learn what it means for us to live as followers of Jesus and become truly generous.
Here are a few books that have helped me think through what it means to be a people of generosity in a world that advocates accumulation & pursuit of the American Dream. I hope they will help & encourage you as they have me.
Here they are in no particular order…
4 Books on Money, Giving & Generosity:
Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruz
“The problem isn’t that people haven’t heard what to do; the real problem is that most people just don’t do it. And in the age of one-click purchasing, social media pressure, online banking, and instant gratification, things are only getting worse.”
“I realized comparisons will not only steal our joy but our paychecks as well. If we don’t get comparison living under control, we will constantly spend money just trying to keep up.”
“Generosity is the most attractive character trait you can imagine.”
“Generosity is a lifestyle that changes hearts and minds as it blesses everyone involved. I have learned over the years that giving is the most fun you can have with money. And I have to say, I am hooked.”
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Sterns
“God never asks us to give what we do not have . . . But he cannot use what we will not give.”
“God’s love was intended to be demonstrated, not dictated.”
“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. —SAINT TERESA OF AVILA”
It is important to put the American Church in perspective. Simply stated, it is the wealthiest community of Christians in the history of Christendom. How wealthy? The total income of American churchgoers is $5.2 trillion. (That’s more than five thousand billion dollars.) It would take just a little over 1 percent of the income of American Christians to lift the poorest one billion people in the world out of extreme poverty. Said another way, American Christians, who make up about 5 percent of the Church worldwide, control about half of global Christian wealth; a lack of money is not our problem.
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”
“Change is painful. Few people have the courage to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change.”
“It is human nature to want it and want it now; it is also a sign of immaturity. Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity.”
“Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things for which you would not take money.”
“Financial peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s learning to live on less than you make, so you can give money back and have money to invest. You can’t win until you do this.”
Take God at His Word by Kregg Hood
“The Bible teaches that giving generously out of love for God will tap you into God’s unseen river of blessing.”
“Many Christians are convinced that they can’t afford to give to God. The reason? Fear.”
“Giving allows me to participate in God’s economy, where my financial investments in His Kingdom generate remarkable returns.”
“God wants us to trust Him, not our job or our bank balance.”
“The spirit of boundless generosity flows throughout the Old and New Testament scriptures. Two passages illustrate this well— Exodus 36: 4-7 and 2 Corinthians 8: 3-5. They both reveal the giving heart God seeks.”
“Remember that our motives must never be “give to get” but “give to get to give again.””
What are some of your favorite books on money, giving & generosity? I’d love to hear what you’re reading that has helped you in your faith journey. Leave a comment below with your favorite books. Thanks!
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