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The Benefits of Generosity
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As good pastors we want to protect our people. There is a difference, however, to protecting or shielding them from the challenges that will help them to grow spiritually. One of those challenges is the challenge of generous Christian giving.
Even though our generation of Christians is the wealthiest generation that has ever lived, 95% of Canadians do not qualify for the $200 level of income tax deductions for charitable donations. North American Christians have a lot of growing to do! If we shield people from the challenges, we also shield them from the benefits.
Some of the benefits of generous giving are as follows:
1) Learning to live beneath our income rather than beyond it.
2) Gaining the spiritual power to apportion our monetary resources in accordance with our highest values.
3) Learning to measure and trim our wants in accordance with the needs of the Kingdom and the needs of the poor.
4) Gaining the inner satisfaction and joy that comes from using our resources to support worthwhile causes.
5) Avoiding all of the wasteful, selfish and negative spending patterns that confine and depress most people.
6) Learning to budget and to put God first when doing budgeting.
7) Having the satisfaction of doing large accomplishments overseas with relatively few dollars because of currency differences.
8) Helping our consuming, gaming and debt-ridden culture to learn contentment, prudence, and generosity.
Those who have learned the joy and discipline of generous Christian giving frequently testify that you cannot out-give God!
Item XLV
©2002 Ronald C. Ferris
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