Give Until It Hurts

I am pretty sure we have all had moments of joyful generosity and we have all had moments of complete selfishness. In each situation, we have felt justified in our actions. The question is, were we?

In the case of selfishness, the answer seems straightforward. At the time, we most likely ran down a list of reasons that made complete sense as to why we should not extend a hand. Yet, our justifications were probably lame. What interests me the most, however, is how justified we felt in our moments of joyful generosity. Were we really feeling generous at the moment or did we just need a little boost to our ego? There are times when we make ourselves believe that we are motivated by pure generosity, only to later see it for what it was –our vain attempt to appear good.

What does it look like to live a life of radical generosity? John Wesley once said:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
— Letters of John Wesley

That is a lot of giving!

When I think of the phrase “give until it hurts,” I wonder if many Americans even come close to understanding it. For all intents and purposes, we truly are blessed as a nation. Even in some of our most downtrodden neighborhoods, it does not compare to the way others live in third world countries.

There will always be poor and there will always be poorer than poor. That is not me being negative, that’s Bible. Yet notice the Bible also follows through with a command when speaking of the poor:

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. Deuteronomy 15:10-11 NLT

Jesus reiterates this notion about the poor being always among us in Matthew 26.

So, is generosity futile? Why continue to give and give if it does not solve issues of poverty? Because, beloved, radical generosity is not about you changing or saving the world, that is God’s job. It is about your inner person transforming into Christlikeness. Radical generosity empties us of ourselves faster than anything I know. As we give ourselves away, it makes room for Christ to come in and fill us!

When I consider “giving until it hurts,” I am always reminded of this short story in the Bible, labeled in many Bibles as The Widow’s Mite.

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke:1-4 NLT

Several internet sites describe the mite, or lepton in Greek, of that day as the smallest of ancient coins. Today, two mites would equate to less than one cent. In the days of Jesus, because women were not allowed to inherit property or wealth, a widow such as the one who presented to the temple would be beholding to any family member willing to care for her after her husband’s death. If she did not have such family, she would have been basically on her own.

Jesus’ observation in this story tells us that the Jewish widow “gave until it hurt,” by giving away the last of what she had. The meaning I want to draw from that is that her giving cost her something and she gave anyway. Now in fairness to interpretation, there is some discussion in commentary about the true meaning behind the story. The widow was giving into the temple system at the time which had become corrupt and her motive for giving was most likely out of desperation to solidify her place in eternity. Now we all know that we cannot buy our way into heaven, but her act was one of radical generosity, because she was willing to give up everything she had for God’s favor. I do not know many of us that are that desperate for God’s favor. Though her intent may have been off, her act was not and therefore she earned her place in scripture.

Today, think of what you have. Count your blessings. Are you willing to give more than you have received? Are you radically generous when giving to God as well as others? Or do you find yourself more generous with God and more selfish with others OR vice versa. I find most people, including myself at times, end up generous in one of these areas while selfish in the other.

Let me put a fresh viewpoint on radical generosity. Radical generosity means you are generous in your giving toward God AND others. It is an outpouring of yourself in every aspect of your life. There is no one outside of your consideration when you give. And let me say for the record, though most of the discussion so far has been around finances that generosity goes beyond the giving of financial resources. When scripture is taken in as a whole, the Bible clearly gives instruction about the importance of giving our “time, talent, and treasure.”

Are you better at giving your time to others or do you find yourself always throwing money at the problems of this world? Do you lend your talents freely or do you expect something in return? Do you have an internal system for judging when you give of your time, talent, and treasure?

Do not get me wrong. I am not suggesting that you just throw caution to the wind as you attempt to be generous, but I am suggesting that more times than not, we really hold ourselves back from ever being radically generous. Generosity is a heart issue through and through. The Bible states:

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”^a]”>  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NLT

Today, take time to do a heart check. What does your “generosity” come out of? Does it come from a place of worldly influence, like in the case of the widow, or does it come out of a place of cheerfulness and trust in God. Jesus’s death was an act of radical generosity to us, one that we will never be able to repay. So today, I pray that each of us would tap into the Spirit and desperately seek God in a way that leads us to become radically generous. It’s the least that we can do.

Father God, thank you for Your patience with us. Thank you that You have set the example of what radical generosity looks like. Guide us in wisdom as we seek to become better in this area. Guide us on how to elevate our level of generosity. Let us seek to be radically generous with both You and those around us. And help us to remember that we can never give more than You gave and correct us immediately if we ever think we can outgive You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Blessings to you and yours!