In the winter of 2011, Joyce Meyer was giving away a copy of Andy Stanley‘s book, Enemies of the Heart (Goodreads) along with one of her books and I’m usually picky about reading spiritual books from people that I’ve never heard of but I took the plunge on this deal and am so, so happy that I did. It’s been years since I first read that book and my heart still stirs every time I think about it. Highly recommend.
Since then, on occasion, I’d watch a message from Andy on the North Point Church website. (Note: If you’re in the Atlanta, Georgia area, there are various locations if you want to visit in person). But it wasn’t until recently that I really started to regularly watch the messages. One message really struck a chord so I want to just give a few bullet points of what stood out to me in this lesson on generosity that I really hope you watch for full context, no matter your faith.
Watch the Full Message Here (Note: It’s Three Parts)
On Generosity
This message is about breaking free from the crazy cycle of Worry (About Future Consumption) -> Spend (More Than) What We Make -> Consumer Debt -> No Margin (For Future Consumption) -> Back to Worry
“For the rest of your life people are going to try to inspire you to give, motivate you to give, guilt you to give, but this may be your one opportunity for somebody to teach you how – not to give – how to be generous.” – Andy Stanley
Read: Luke 12:13-48
1. Generosity must be taught.
2. We don’t feel rich but we are. We feel generous but we aren’t.
3. Giving and being generous are two different things. Generous people do not need to be sold.
4. Rich people are rich. Generous people are generous.
5. If you live a generous life… not have moments of giving but if you order your life around generosity, you will be happy. Happiness is an outcome of a lifestyle of generosity.
6. Everybody gives, Few are generous.
7. Greed: Most financial angst is the result of wanting what we can’t get, not needing what we don’t have.
8. I love the way Andy shares Luke 12:20-21. This is how it will be. Total loss for those who consume only for themselves. Don’t let worry consume you and your bank account. Generous people do not assume it’s theirs to consume.
Just because it comes to me doesn’t mean it’s for me.
If what is yours can be taken away, if you cannot control where it ultimately goes and if you are managing it temporarily for only your own benefit, you don’t own it and you will lose it. Generous people think like managers, not owners and consumers. Living like a consumer will always bring discontentment. Break the insanity cycle, not by making more money but by generosity.
9. We convince ourselves that we have a money problem but what most of us really have is a self control problem, a contentment problem, a discipline problem, and a spiritual problem (by placing our trust in riches rather than the one who richly provides).
10. Re-prioritize and reorder around generosity rather than consumption so that you are generous first and give a set percentage (bumping this up over time – plan to do more), save for the future, and then consume rather than consume plenty, save what you can, and sparingly give away what’s left.
So where do you give? Ask yourself these questions: What are you grateful for? What are you broken over? Fund the thing(s) that you are grateful for and the things that address the issues that break your heart.
Saving is how you say yes to you. Generosity is how you say yes to what’s important to you.
What’s important to you?