What is My “Why”?: Why Liberty Members Give Generously
“What do we do if/when we don't feel like being generous at all? How do we move forward and motivate ourselves to give generously anyway—and cheerfully?”
We Get to Give Generously
So you’ve listened to the sermons trhoughout the past weeks and woo-frickin-hoo. Yaaaaay, we get to be generous.
We get to be generous with our time, our talents, our finances and our resources. The Lord blessed us, so we can bless others; what a privilege that is!
Okay, but maybe it doesn't feel like a privilege to you; it just feels like some sort of toxicly positive masking of the same old obligation you've always had. Maybe you used to love serving on Sundays, but then you took a break and just haven’t had the time or energy to recommit. Maybe you used to pray for those you talked to on the street, but had a weird experience with someone and have been kind of turned off by trying again any time soon. Or maybe financial tithing once was something you actively and passionately prioritized, but the fire has dwindled and your tithing is on autopay.
Honestly, if you say it to yourself aloud—We don’t have to give generously, but God gave us an abundance so that we get to give generously—it sort of sounds like the weirdly specific type of reverse psychology parents use to get their four-year-olds to eat their dinner.
Giving is not about any amount of money, but the intention behind the action, Pastor David shared in one sermon during this series.
And that’s all fine and dandy, but let’s be real here. We don’t always feel like being generous. And we don’t always want to be either!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it feels like my body is at war with itself. My heart wants to please God and make Him proud, but my mind wants me to keep what I have, what I feel I deserve. Even though I say I believe that God will always provide for me, I so often live with a scarcity mindset, as if everything I have could just run out on any random day.
And yet God invites us all to give generously, regardless of the war within my head, and He wants us to give with a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).
So here’s where we’re at: What do we do if/when we don't feel like being generous at all? How do we move forward and motivate ourselves to give generously anyway—and cheerfully?
What is Your “Why”?
A few weeks ago, Pastor David offered us this encouragement: Feeling joyous and eager in giving generously comes down to finding your "why". Knowing how Jesus says to give generously is important and informative, but it’s only when we find the why that we will be motivated to give graciously.
Think about it this way — When we lose our “why”, we can lose our interest in just about every aspect of life. Things that were once a joy will become burdens and opportunities you once had will feel like obligations. When we only go through the motions without any heart or intent behind them, we will lose our "why" and our "way" of doing such task.
But, when you figure out your “why” — the reason you choose to give generously — you will always find a way to do so.
Pastor David offered a few of his reasons from the pulpit: (1) Jesus gave to us first (Matt 10:8 NIV, MSG); (2) It feels good to give (Acts 20:35); (3) We get to participate in life changing work (Phil 4:15 NLT); and (4) We believe in the vision/mission of our church and find it worth investing in (because we know a mobilized church transforms people, our city and our world (Eph. 3:10).
Not to Cheat off Others’ Tests, But What are Other People’s “why”s?
Everyone’s “why” is different, though as Jesus-followers, it would not be surprising if many of our given answers overlap. But, hearing Pastor David’s why got me wondering… what is my “why”? Is it the same as Pastor David’s, or is it something else? Do others have the same questions as I do?
And as I began to reflect, I had the sudden longing to hear other people’s takes on this question too. (Maybe it’s because I’m nosy or easily gullible, but hearing others’ opinions often helps me define my own.)
So with this burning question on the tip of my tongue, this past month, I took this opportunity to catch up with a few friendly church volunteers and I ask them: What is your “why”? Why do you give your time, talents, resources and finances, etc.?
Here are a few reasons why members of our church community give their time, talent and resources generously:
David Portolitan
“I mean, I guess I give because it's the best investment I can make. And it's what my father and grandfather did before me.”
Cheryl Robinson
“I give because God first gave to me! I give because someone prayed for me. I give because I want to be able to bless others. And I give because… I love to see people's face, you know?
“For example, I give with my baking with my cooking, with my desire for arts and crafts, and just being around people generally. Giving generously, to me, is sharing my love with others.”
Nathan Sherrer
“I give because I was given to first. Like the things I have—be it my time and my resources and my abilities—I never really see them as completely my own…
“Whenever I step back and take a bigger look at the bigger picture of my life, I’m reminded, oh, no. I only have all this and I'm only able to do all this because He made me to be a part of this.
“God invites me to be a part of this, and so He gave me all this stuff first, so I can be like Him and share what I have with everyone else as well.
“So I'm prone to give my time and my talents and whatever I have just to be a bit more like the person who loved me so much that He gave me all I have to begin with. He wants me to be a part of this reality He's made me to be a part of.”
