Generous Is an Adjective

It had not occurred to me until today when I read Tim’s blog that we should distinguish between generous and giving. We often reference the two simultaneously at the fault of neglecting to consider their individual significance.

The word give is a verb, and we understand it to refer to the act of yielding something of our own to someone else. The word generous is an adjective that we typically use to describe the way in which we give. In contrast, we can certainly give grudgingly or with regret… Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corithians 9:7 NIV)

Tim asks his readers a very convicting question:

Do we want to be givers or do we want to be generous? We often times convince ourselves that we are generous because we “give”, but giving doesn’t always mean “generous”.

Tim goes on to explain that, like a garden, a generous spirit must be cultivated. It does not come natural to us. I constantly have to tend to the flower bed in front of our house. I can’t simply plant the flowers and hope they grow. I have to nurture and water them. Part of that nurturing process involves identifying and removing any obstacles to their growth.

We might ask ourselves what those obstacles are that influence whether we are giving generously or giving by another adjective. I suspect many of us have things (material possessions) that create the obstacles Tim refers to. I know in my own personal testimony it has been those times when I have accumulated additional debt that limited by abilty to give.

Thanks Tim!