By: Katie Cartner

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.”

Genesis 1:29 NLT

God created the world in six days and said to His creation, “Look! I have given...” The very first thing God did for us was “give.” Throughout the Bible, God shows His love for us in so many ways, and His final act of generosity was to give His one and only Son, Jesus, so that we may be saved (John 3:16). This tells me the heart of our God is generous. He models it for us, and WE are His image bearers. So, how do we respond to this generosity as His people?

Generosity is a topic that God has stirred in my heart for many years. As a single mom, I have often asked myself, “How will I be able to afford [fill in the blank]?” Relying solely on my own income, I had a scarcity mindset. I always stressed about being able to meet basic needs for myself and my son, and I also felt the urge and desire to give many things to my son and to myself above and beyond the basic necessities. But the money was just never there. I put so much emphasis on material things and my own ability—until I met Jesus. He started to shift my focus and my heart, and I began to realize that the “things” I desired were just inanimate objects that never fulfilled me. He showed me that those things, even if I acquired them, were not my own. God showed me that I needed something more than material possessions: I needed relationship with Him! I began to serve others, and I saw the needs of those around me and how God met those needs when the focus, trust and faith was on Him alone. My heart began to shift as I trusted in who He said He was, and I went from an internal consumer or self-focused faith to a generous faith. I began to give out of the little God gave me, much like the widow who gave two mites in Mark 12:41-44. And for the past twelve years He has faithfully provided all I needed and proven to me how much He loves me in so many ways!

So I ask, do you believe God is generous? Do you believe He has given us everything we need? Where do you place your faith? How are you putting that generous faith into practice? Paul encourages in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 to sow generously. It says in verse 10-11, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” He will enrich us in EVERY way when we give, whether it is our money, our time, our ears, our shoulders or our words! Let us be the image bearers He made us to be, generous givers of all we have. When we give generously as God does, not only are we blessed by God, but more importantly we are being the image bearer and are a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2). Let’s walk in a generous faith and watch God do what he says He will do: bless and GIVE!