What Does it Mean to be Generous?
Have you ever thought about why you give? Do you give to receive? Do you give out of obligation? Or do you give because that’s the life Jesus modeled for us?
We all know that giving is something we’re supposed to do. But what does the Bible say about generosity?
In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard in Jerusalem. As Jesus sat across from where people were placing their offerings, he noticed something. Many who were rich were offering large amounts of money. But a poor widow gave two very small copper coins.
After noticing this, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
The Way We Give Matters.
In this story, the wealthier people were giving much more than what the widow. Yet, Jesus told his disciples that she gave more than all of them put together. This tells us something important: Jesus doesn’t care about how much we give. He cares about how we give.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul writes this: “Give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
“I’ll give more when I have more” or “It’s easy to be generous when you have a lot” are both common mindsets around the idea of generosity.
It can be easy to give cheerfully when you are giving out of abundance but what happens when you don’t have enough? What happens when you lose your job unexpectedly or when you have a medical bill that you’re just not sure you can pay?
That’s when generosity gets hard. How can you give cheerfully when you don’t even have financial stability for yourself?
Here’s something to remember: Everything we have comes from God. We’re simply stewards of what God has given us.
When we realize that we’re not giving our resources but God’s resources, we’re able to live open-handedly and give cheerfully even when it seems impossible.
The widow didn’t wait until she had enough. She gave everything she had—not knowing what would come the next day.
1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.”
Generosity is an Act of Faith.
The widow’s trust was in God, not in her finances or current situation. What (or who) are you trusting?
When we’re generous, whether it’s with our time or finances, we’re putting our trust in God. The things of the world come and go. But God lasts forever. He is our only true source of security and hope.
As we enter the Christmas season, let’s not forget the ultimate story of generosity. Jesus is the greatest gift to the world. God doesn’t just call us to be generous. He lived generously first. The entire Gospel story is a story of generosity.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Just like the widow gave all she had, God gave his only Son so that we might be saved. That’s how much he loves us. And in the same way, he invites us to live generously—helping those in need and glorifying him in the process.
So, how will you live generously this season?
Just as Jesus noticed the widow give her two coins, he sees you. He sees your situation. He sees your heart. He cares deeply for you. And he invites you to live with a heart of generosity.
Today is Giving Tuesday—a global movement that encourages people to give their time and money to non-profits to make our world a better place.
As you pray through how God is calling you to give generously this Christmas season, we’d love to invite you to join us at So We Speak if you feel prompted.
When you give to So We Speak, you help create more opportunities for us to reach even more people with biblical content that helps others stay informed without being conformed.
Together, let’s share the hope we have with the world around us.
Kali Gibson is the editor-in-chief for So We Speak and a copywriter for the Youversion Bible App.
