Giving with Gusto

“When the heart is right, the feet are swift.”

That’s the way Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States put it many years ago. There are other ways to say the same thing. A happy spirit takes the grind out of giving. A positive attitude makes sacrifice a pleasure. When the morale is high, the motivation is strong. When there is joy down inside, no challenge seems too great. The grease of gusto frees the gears of generosity.

And have you noticed how contagious such a spirit becomes? Not only do we feel the wind at our backs, others do as well. And when we are surrounded by that dynamic, a fresh surge of determination sweeps over us. You cannot stop it!

A close friend gave me a small paperback titled Great War Speeches, a compilation of the most stirring speeches by Sir Winston Churchill. I had already read most of them, but in rereading over the past several days, I found myself once again stimulated . . . prodded to do better, to reach higher, and to give greater measures of myself. Churchill’s words regarding our age never fail to move me. What an eloquent spokesman for good! Describing courageous warriors, he wrote:

Every morn brought forth a noble change
And every change brought forth a noble knight.1

Reminds me of David’s words after Araunah offered the king one of his possessions for nothing. “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). David refused a hand-out.
I love the application the late great preacher John Henry Jowett drew from David’s words: “Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.” Long enough have God’s people drifted along passively dreaming for things to change. It’s time to act. It’s time to make things change. And while we’re at it, I suggest we have the time of our lives. Let’s do so with gusto!

Can you recall the statement about giving that Paul made in the 2 Corinthians letter? This statement is perhaps the foundational reference in Scripture that links joy with giving. “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly [the word means “reluctantly”] or under compulsion [“feeling forced because of what others may say or think”], for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The term cheerful, remember, comes from a Greek word, hilaros, from which we get our word hilarious. And in the original statement, hilaros is placed first for emphasis. Literally, “for the hilarious giver God prizes.” Why? Because hilarious givers have swift feet. They give with gusto!

  • When the Israelites gave themselves and their belongings to construct the tabernacle in the wilderness, their gusto was so evident they had to be told not to give anymore (Exodus 36:6–7).
  • When the people in Jerusalem rallied around Nehemiah and rebuilt that wall, their gusto resulted in a record-breaking achievement (Nehemiah 2:17–18; 4:6; 6:15–16).
  • When Jesus challenged His followers to be unselfish, He taught that it is “more blessed to give than to receive,” connecting joy with our financial investments in eternal things (Acts 20:35).

Want to bring back the gusto? Want to become a “noble knight” at the round table of generosity? Let me remind you of four simple suggestions. They work for me.

1. Reflect on God’s gifts to you. Hasn’t He been good? Better than we deserve. Sufficient food, clothing, and safe shelters. Even more blessings of good health, happy families, and close friends . . . and so much more.

2. Remind yourself of His promises regarding generosity. Call to mind a few biblical principles that promise the benefits of sowing bountifully. Bumper crops, don’t forget, are God’s specialty.

3. Examine your heart. Nobody but you can do this. Open that private vault and ask several hard questions, like:

  • Is my giving proportionate to my income?
  • Am I motivated by guilt . . . or by contagious joy?
  • If someone else knew the level of my giving to God’s work, would I be a model to follow?
  • Have I prayed about giving . . . or am I just an impulsive responder?

4. Trust God to honour consistent generosity. Here’s the big step, but it’s essential. Go for it! Release your restraint—when you really believe God is leading you to make a significant contribution—and develop the habit of generosity. I seriously doubt that generosity has ever hurt many people!

At Insight for Living, we have on-going financial obligations in order for us to continue delivering solid Bible teaching. These obligations are achievable if . . . our spirits stay happy . . . if our morale stays high. Please pray that this year will be our all-time best. Perhaps God will lead you to give as you’ve never given before with outstanding offerings of a sacrificial nature, like noble knights of old.

If our hearts are right, our feet will be swift. And if our feet are swift, we’ll not only reach our budget goals, we’ll go beyond them! Ministry that costs nothing, remember, accomplishes nothing.

  1. Sir Winston Churchill, “A Colossal Military Disaster,” a speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940, Great War Speeches (London: Corgi Books, a division of Transworld Publishers Ltd., 1957), 22.

Copyright © 2011 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

Posted in Stewardship and tagged , , , , .

Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading programme in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.

పాస్టర్ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విండాల్ దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని నిర్దిష్టంగా, ఆచరణాత్మకంగా బోధించడానికి మరియు అన్వయించడానికి తన జీవితాన్ని అంకితం చేశారు. ఆయన టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చి వ్యవస్థాపక కాపరియై ఉన్నారు, అయితే చక్ యొక్క శ్రోతలు స్థానిక సంఘ పరిధి దాటి వ్యాపించి ఉన్నారు. 1979 నుండి క్రైస్తవ ప్రసరణలో ప్రముఖ కార్యక్రమంగా, ఇన్‌సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రసారమవుతోంది. డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ప్రెసిడెంటుగా, అలాగే ఇప్పుడు ఛాన్సిలర్ ఎమెరిటస్‌గా చక్ యొక్క నాయకత్వం క్రొత్త తరం స్త్రీపురుషులను పరిచర్య కొరకు సిద్ధపరచడంలో సహాయపడింది.