I’m convinced that Jesus intends for His followers to live extraordinarily generous lives.

Slow down for a minute. This piece is an unusually short amount of words.

But before you ingest them into your soul, please take a reading from 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (it’s linked right there; go ahead and click it to read the passage).

WARNING: I’m asking for an offering at the end of this post.

I’ve recently been contemplating and praying about a series I want to teach on this theme. And in keeping with His character, the Holy Spirit has reminded me of some solid principles.

Without any extra buildup, here are 3 truths for Christians who want to please God.

1. Giving is about generosity, not getting.
   
   A giver’s heart is generous and primarily wants to be a blessing. As a loving follower of Christ, a generous-hearted Christian knows they are abundantly blessed and want to be a blessing. Givers don’t give to get.
   
   
2. Giving is about joy, not grieving.
   
   The heart of a giver experiences genuine pleasure through the act of giving. Givers don’t grieve after the act of giving. As a joyful follower of Christ, a generous-hearted Christian loves the simple joy that comes with blessing others through giving.
   
   
3. Giving is about acknowledging ownership, not selfishness.
   
   The heart of a giver understands that they don’t own anything. In giving, they acknowledge that the gift wasn’t theirs to keep. As peace-filled followers of Christ, a generous-hearted Christian refuses to be held back by stuff that doesn’t belong to them.

These truths describe the gracious ideal for those committed to the local church. After all, stewardship principles are about so much more than the simple return of tithes.

OFFERING: As a Christian, what is God teaching or reminding you about a lifestyle of generosity? As a generous offering to help others, here’s your opportunity to share a comment in the space provided below.