Developing Generosity in Givers

This morning my friend, Gary Hoag ( Generosity Monk ) gave me a pointed reminder from Peter Marshall: How much should I give?

“Give according to your income lest God make your income according to your giving.”
Peter Marshall (1940-2010), cf. 2 Corinthians 8:11-12. Quoted in Handbook for Christian Living by Charles F. Stanley (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), p. 551.”

As a stewardship officer I am asking people to respond to God's love through Christ's death by returning to him in proportion.

How do we give back to the One who gives Eternal Life? What does that mean in terms of giving the tithe and offerings?

On one hand I don't know where to begin; God owns it all and I owe Him everything. On the other hand, he only requires the tithe. So, we've narrowed down giving to somewhere between ten and a hundred percent.

So, how do we do define generosity? I have suggested giving past the point of pain and to the point of joy. Still kind of nebulous, right?

I know of a local person who increased his giving by five percent each year until he gave seventy five percent and used twenty five for himself.

Then there is R.G. LeTourneau, a famous manufacturer of earth-moving equipment who gave much more that he took in and established an excellent technical university in Texas.

How much is generous? I can't say, but you'll know it when you see it.

Malachi 3:10

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.