Why are some people more generous than others? (5 secrets)

God tells us on the pages of the New Testament about a lot of generous people and a special example are Christians from Macedonia, who supported the ministry of Apostle Paul a lot and they helped many saints from those times, that were in need. Here is what the apostle wrote about them:

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. (2 Corinthians 8:1–5)(NASB)

How could Christians from Macedonia show such an overflow of the wealth while they faced a great ordeal of affliction and deep poverty?

1. Generous people live in God’s grace

Grace means a gift you don’t deserve. All of us receive many undeserved gifts from God. In fact, all that we receive we do not deserve and we can not pay back for anything. Generous people realize this and they live in God’s grace. They understand that all things come from Him and all things are given to us to bring Him glory, serving others. And where there is generosity, God multiplies His grace even more, as Apostle Paul says in this first verse:

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 8:1)(NASB)

2. Generous people do not let circumstances affect their heart’s attitude

It is true that you can give when you have where to give from. But there are people who have something to give, but they don’t, because they do not know to feel with others, they can not see others’ needs, but they see only their own’s. And then, you are always more conscious about your own needs than those of others. It is not the same with generous people. They have their eyes fixed on others, that’s why they see others’ needs more important than their own. Macedonians were in afflictions, in a deep poverty, but they were glad that they could help others, they could help the saints who were in need and God’s ministers who went to share the Gospel with others. Macedonians thought about others more than they thought about themselves and they knew to feel with others.

3. Generous people do not act under pressure or manipulation

Have you ever seen people who gave something only because others also gave and they did not want to be ashamed before people? Or maybe you yourself gave something once only to be on a level with other people. It is a good thing to be urged by someone on generosity, but it is a very different thing to give under pressure or being manipulated. It was not the same with Macedonians, and Apostle Paul says about them:

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord. (2 Corinthians 8:3)(NASB)

4. Generous people do not wait until they are asked, when they see the need

Apostle Paul urges Corinthians in this second epistle to be generous and to grow having this attitude, as well as other beautiful attitudes that are expected to grow in every Christian’s spiritual life. The Apostle didn’t ask the Macedonians to participate at this support for saints. Maybe he thought of their deep poverty, and of many other afflictions they were facing at that moment. But Macedonians themselves came and begged with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, as Apostle Paul writes:

Begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. (2 Corinthians 8:4)(NASB)

5. Generous people first gave themselves to God

Here is why they can give others to this extent, as Macedonians did. They are conscious that they belong to God with all they have in this world and that He can intervene in every situation of their life to fulfill all their needs. Being conscious that they receive all things from God, they can feel with others and to share with them what they have. When Apostle Paul speaks about the generosity of Macedonians, he says:

And this (collecting support for saints), not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. (2 Corinthians 8:5)(NASB)

Are you a generous person? What is the motivation of your generosity? Do you feel with others or you want to be on a level with other people? Whose needs bother you mostly? Yours or your brothers’ and of those who are in need? What is not good in your attitude? Here is how our Lord Jesus Christ acted:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)(NASB)

Translated by Felicia Djugostran