(38) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” When we bless others and are generous with our resources — time, money, and energy — we open the door to blessings from God. Generosity is not simply a feeling, but an action that comes from the heart. God gave from His heart when He gave His one and only son, Jesus, to die for us. Giving is not only an attitude, but a lifestyle.
Giving Is an Act of Love
John 3:16 (NIV)
(16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7 (NIV)
(4) But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
(5) he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
(6) whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
(7) so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
How did God show us His generosity?
(4) not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
(5) In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
(6) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
(7) rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
(8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
What attitude did Jesus have?
What should our attitude be when we give?
The Blessings of a Generous Lifestyle
2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)
(10) 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.
Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV)
(10) Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
What are the results of a generous lifestyle?
How can we be more generous with the blessings God has given us?
Being Generous With Everything
Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
(25) A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)
(11) 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.
What are the results of a generous lifestyle?
Ask a Friend
What motivates you to be generous?
Do you enjoy being generous?
Why or why not?
Share a testimony of a time when you were generous or when someone blessed you through their generosity and how God blessed the situation further.
Application
How can you cultivate a lifestyle of generosity?
In what areas of your life are you limiting blessings because you do not have a generous attitude?
Prayer Model
Thank You Father for giving me Your Son. Teach me to be more generous with my money, time and energy.
Key Verse
Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
