Generosity's Baby Steps 2.0

Last month I wrote about Generosity's Baby Steps.  Specifically I shared that if we begin with thankfulness, and look around us to see needs we could help meet, we will grow in generosity.

I'd like to recommend two additional steps toward generosity balance:


1.  Give from your abundance. Maybe you have an abundance of time, or perhaps you have been entrusted with more wealth than you need.  What will you do with it?  Will you spend the excess on yourself?  Will you watch for others in need and give to them?  Will you grow through the process of giving?

 

We are prone to live careful and calculated lives, never risking too much, rarely asking for help.  The problem is there is no life in that kind of living.  The journey of life is most full when we are most free.  Free from fear of loss, free from fear of failure, and free from slavery to our possessions.  Generosity is the only antidote for greed.  Consider the freedom that might be possible for you through a generous life.
 

2.  Receive in your need.  One of the best ways to understand generosity is to receive from others in your time of need.  Needs are a sign of life and growth.  We all have them.  When we are willing to share our needs with others, we actually engage in a greater depth of relationship.  When someone wants to give you a gift the right response is to say thank you and to receive the gift with gratitude.  When we do, we grow to understand the power of a gift to transform a life, and we can be inspired to give to others.

Let me encourage you to be transparent about areas where you have a need.  Perhaps you need help with putting a new roof on your house.  Ask for help.  Perhaps you need help to put food on the table this month.  Share the need with others who may be able to help.

These steps are super simple to understand, but can be difficult to practice. 

Question: How will you practice giving and receiving today?