I believe this, and probably you believe it too – Christians are supposed to be generous! We give, because we have received! And even though so many of us believe this, we sometimes fail. Recently, my wife and I learned a lesson about how to increase our generosity.

We were spending the weekend with friends, and told them the story of our adult daughter who has had some difficulty in her life. She’s made mistakes, and like so many of us, unwisely surrounded herself with bad influences. 

But all that’s in the past! She called us sometime ago to let us know that she needed help. She recognized that she couldn’t turn this around on her own. And so we’ve now found her a great rehab program where she’s thriving. But this kind of program is not cheap, and our friends recognized this when we told them the story. As we were saying our goodbyes, they slipped us an envelope full of cash and said, “this is for your daughter to help with her rehab.“

After hugs… and thank-yous, and a few tears… They told us that they have an account set up apart from their checking and savings, and every month they put some money away in that account. It’s purpose is so that they can be more serious about their giving. It’s for those times when they want to be a part of a compelling story. And the money is just sitting there, waiting to be used for the right cause.

Maybe you want to be more generous like my wife Tammy and I do. What a great way to ensure that you’re able to give when God prompts you! You could start an account, or just use a hiding place in your home, and put in a couple of dollars (or more!) each paycheck.

Just a simple idea, but one, I think, that could make us a more willing and generous people.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25