One Mindset Shift to Fuel Your Generosity
By Michael Kelley
The Bible pays a lot of attention to the way we think. Take, for example, Paul’s words in Romans 12:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).
This is a verse about transformation. That transformation is something that has happened, and yet continues to happen in the life of the Christian. When we believe in the truth of the gospel, we become something different. We are made into a new creation. Then we behave according to what we have become.
That’s the three-step process: Believe. Become. Behave. Our faith leads to transformation which leads to a different set of behaviors. Tucked inside that formula is the importance of the way we think. True transformation begins in the mind before it hits our actions.
Put another way, our actions don’t start with our willpower; they start in our minds. If we want to choose the good and godly way of behavior, then we ought to have the right mindset. Which brings us to the topic of generosity.
Generosity is a choice, and it’s a choice God expects us to make as His children:
The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:6-7).
God not only desires us to make generous choices, but He desires us to do it with a joyful heart. That can many times be difficult to do, can’t it? After all, there are so many things that seem to beg for our resources. So what kind of mindset must we have if we are to not only be generous, but joyfully generous?
There are several shifts we might need to make. For example, we might need to shift our mindset from thinking of ourselves as owners of our resources to thinking of ourselves as stewards of our resources:
The earth and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants,
belong to the Lord;
for he laid its foundation on the seas
and established it on the rivers (Ps. 24:1-2).
If we start to view God as the true owner of everything we have and, in turn, see ourselves as managers of those resources, then generosity comes more easily.
We might also need to change our mindset from thinking of ourselves as poor to thinking of ourselves as rich:
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
Regardless of what the balance is in our bank accounts, we are rich in Christ. God has held nothing back from us; we have every single blessing in the heavens already because of Jesus. This, too, will help us to be generous.
But here’s one more pivotal mindset shift we need to make - we need to stop thinking about generosity as sacrifice and start thinking about it as investment. Here’s how Jesus put it:
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).
Jesus isn’t just calling for generosity; He’s calling for investors. He’s not saying that we need to sacrifice; He’s telling us to make our investments in that which offers the most sure and lasting return. Yes, generosity might require sacrifice, but that sacrifice only happens in the near-term. It’s a sacrifice for a greater return.
If you’re struggling with generosity today, friends, then don’t just work yourself into generosity. Change your mindset. Look to Jesus who is calling you to invest in something better.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.
