Impact of Generosity

Leading by example, Greg and Janice made a $1,000 commitment of their own finances toward the building. They didn’t have the money at the time, but they were willing to give, trusting the Lord to provide the seed. They made a pledge that when God supplied, they would give.

The next morning, I stopped by the church to pick up my remaining tapes and books, and Greg was all excited. He owned five plots of land that he had been trying to sell for three years. At eight o’clock that morning, he received a call saying that it looked like the lots had sold. Praise the Lord! How’s that for a fast answer to prayer!

Why God Blesses Sowers

Greg told me that he thought there were a lot of my partners in the same situation that he was originally in. They wanted to be a part of getting our new ministry facility debt-free, but they just didn’t have the money to give. He said, “If they will make a pledge to sow some money into this project, the Lord will give them the seed to sow.”

Changing Your Mindset

Second Corinthians 9:10 says,

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

This verse says that God gives seed to sowers and bread to eaters. These terms are being used metaphorically to talk about how God gives extra to people who are givers and supplies the basic needs of eaters.

Overflowing Blessings by Prioritizing Giving

Eaters are those who are using their finances primarily for their needs. Sowers are those who use their finances primarily to give to others. This is about the attitude of the heart toward giving. Those who desire more money so they can get more “stuff” are eaters. Those who desire more money so they can give more are sowers.

Of course, sowers have to eat too. So, as the money flows through, there is always plenty for them. But those who are only seeking to get their needs met will only get their needs met. They won’t have the abundance that comes with being a giver.

This answers a lot of questions. Eaters are always focused on what they need, and therefore, God doesn’t give them an overabundance. They would just spend it on themselves. Just two verses prior to the verse we are studying, Paul wrote,

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

It’s About Generosity, Not Greed

Notice that the reason God makes grace abound toward you is so you may abound unto every good work. Prosperity is not for you. It’s so you may bless others. That’s a radical thought.

Many people believe prosperity is all about greed, and that’s why they oppose it. But true Bible prosperity is so you can be a blessing to others. The attitude that says, “I’ve got enough. I would never ask for more,” is the wrong attitude. That’s selfish. That shows the attitude of an eater, not a sower.

If you are a sower, God will bless you with a superabundance of finances that will more than supply your need and enable you to give as you desire. Second Corinthians 9:10 says God gives seed to sowers, so it’s accurate to say that if you are short of seed (finances), then you are not sowing like you should. God will see to it that sowers have money to abound unto every good work.

Working for a Purpose

Ephesians 4:28 says,

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

This verse says that the reason we should work is so that we can give to those who have need. That’s amazing! Most people would say the reason we should work is so that we can pay our bills and provide for our needs. But that’s not what this scripture says. The purpose for us working is so that we can bless others.

Now, some people may think, But what about me? Doesn’t God want me to be blessed too? Of course He does. But the way to blessing isn’t in trying to meet your needs. It’s in meeting the needs of others.

Seeking God’s Kingdom First

Matthew 6:33 says,

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

When we put sowing ahead of eating, God gets involved in our finances and meets our every need. In fact, God will take better care of you than you would take of yourself. Just look at what the Lord is preparing for you in heaven. You will live in a mansion. The streets are paved with pure gold. The gates are pearls, and the foundations of the city are precious stones. No one on earth lives in such luxury. God is El Shaddai, not “El Cheapo”!

Breaking Free from the Eater Mentality

The thing that is hindering most of our prosperity is the fact that we tend to be eaters instead of sowers. We’re like a dam that wants to block the flow instead of a river that lets the water pass through. If God can get money through us, He will get it to us. This is a powerful truth.

If you can look at all your assets and say, “I produced all of this,” then you haven’t tapped into God’s abundance yet. When you put God’s kingdom first, the Lord will prosper you supernaturally. And it will be abundant.

How Generosity Opens the Door to Blessings

Jamie and I have given away a lot of cars. We didn’t do it to get cars back. We did it because we are sowers, and we like to bless people. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. But as we put first the kingdom of God by giving to others, God has supernaturally taken care of us. We’ve had people buy new cars for us for many years. And these are nice cars. They are nicer than we would have bought for ourselves if we had been limited to our personal income.

Joy of Living in God’s Abundance

I’ve had people criticize me for driving nice cars. But what am I supposed to do—refuse the free nice cars and spend more money on something not as nice just to look humble? That’s not humble; that’s stupid.

When God gets involved in your finances, it will be embarrassing. If you aren’t sometimes embarrassed at the way God takes care of you, then you haven’t moved into God’s abundance yet. Our Father gets pleasure out of blessing you (Ps. 35:27).

I have a teaching entitled “Sowers and Eaters” that is part of our Finance Series. It goes into much more than what I’ve been able to share here. I believe it could change the way you view giving, and it could bring you into God’s abundance.