Give Until It Hurts
Dan Kunz
America annually ranks among the most generous countries in the world. We’re not always number one, but we’re usually in the top five. Why are Americans so generous? Some would say it’s because of our Christian heritage (although some people want to deny that heritage). Others say it’s because we’re so blessed. Americans, as a whole, have a lot of material wealth, and so we can “afford” to be generous. Still others would say it’s because our access to the media, in its various forms, makes us more aware of the great needs which others have. No matter the reason, Americans tend to be generous people.
How would you assess your generosity? Remember that, as Christians, we are to support faith-based giving, as well as humanitarian need. Are you generous toward God? Are you generous toward your fellow man? We know that generosity means more than just financial gifts. You may also be generous with your time and talents, not just your treasure. The expression, “Give until it hurts,” isn’t traceable to one individual, but the example which far and away exceeds all others is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of his great love for us, he didn’t just give until it hurt, but gave it all, including his life. He gave beyond hurting. He gave until he died.
This example, which Jesus himself gave us, may lead us to look at giving in a new way. When assessing your generosity, you may want to consider what you sacrificed to be generous. I recently heard of a couple of instances of just such generosity. A friend recently told me about the mom of a high school student who wanted to help a family at her child’s school. (The family was facing catastrophic medical bills.) She wanted to give $50 to this family in need, but after further thought, decided on $100. Still not satisfied with the amount, she discussed it with her husband. After looking for ways to increase the amount, they decided to forego two months’ worth of “date nights” and make it $200, instead of $100! That was a sacrifice. Another friend recently told me she was trying to decide if she was really as sacrificial as she thought. After a lot of thought, she decided to deny herself the soothing, but expensive, “night cream” with which she pampered herself before bedtime. Not a huge deal, but a sacrifice, none the less.
Of course, we know that such giving isn’t done to merit any blessings from God, or to earn any “brownie points” with him. It’s simply a way to make giving more meaningful to us and to remind us Christ’s love was, indeed, sacrificial. It cost him something to save us. It’s not bad if it costs us something to share our blessings with others. It is, as a matter of fact, a good thing. A very wealthy philanthropist gave millions of dollars to charity over the years but gained a very different perspective when he became personally involved in the charities which he supported. As he put it, “Looking into the eyes of the people to whom you’re serving food at a local soup kitchen, makes giving a whole lot more personal.”
Luke 21:3-4 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
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