Is it wrong to be stingy?
What a great question. There are multiple ways that we can be stingy. It seems when people think of this question they think mostly of money. But we can be stingy with our time, strength, emotions, or money. So here is the real question, is there a time to be stingy or should we always be full of generosity?
Stingy
What does stingy really mean anyway? It means that a person is reluctant to give or spend; not generous. When I think of stinginess it reminds me of someone who holds on to everything he has without any consideration of others.
It makes me think of Judas in the Bible. He was a disciple of Jesus but we know that when it came to money he was not generous with others. He definitely had no problem taking care of himself though.
You might be saying, “But we do have to be careful who we give to because we can be taken advantage of.” This is true and that is where stewardship comes in. But we have to make sure that we are not being selfish under the guise of stewardship.
Generosity
So what does being generous mean? Here are two. “1. A readiness or liberality in giving. 2. Freedom from means or smallness of mind or character.” When I think of generosity I think of someone willing to give of their time, money, and resources. The most generous person that ever walked this earth was Jesus. He did not think of Himself and His comforts but He was always thinking of others.
Rewards for Generosity
- When we are generous we have a countenance that shines because we are filled with joy. We cannot out give God. He will take care of us. When God prompts our hearts to help someone whether it takes our time, money, emotional or physical strength He will supply us with what we need. We don’t have to worry. I would encourage you to read Matthew 6:19:34. God will take care of you so you don’t have any reason to worry, you can be filled with joy. As it says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. That is a great promise.
- We have a special love for God when we trust Him. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 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 9:6-7.
- When we realize that all we have, whether time, money, emotional or physical strength belongs to God, we have a fear (respect) for the Him. And we are rewarded for that respect. As it says in Proverbs 22:4, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.”
- The greatest reward is having treasures in heaven. “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” Matthew 6:20.
- When we are generous another reward is the victory over the “root of all evil.”
- Generosity rewards us with escaping from lusts and sorrows. “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” 1Timothy 6:9, 10.
Rewards for Stinginess
The “rewards” for stinginess are just the opposite of generosity. And it brings sorry and not happiness. There are several stories in the Bible that stinginess makes me think about and what the results were. I think of Judas who held the money-bag. He eventually betrayed the Son of God to His death and then he committed suicide.
It also makes me think of Ananias and Sapphira who sold their property and promised the money to help the cause of God. But then they decide to keep back some for themselves and they lied saying they had given all. They lost their lives (see Acts 5:1-11). Claiming to be generous but really lying about the facts does not get you anywhere good. “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” Luke 16:13.
Does this all mean that it is wrong to earn good money. No, but we need to make sure that our priorities are straight. It doesn’t mean we can’t live comfortably but we should not be living extravagantly. As the Lord blesses we need to properly take care of our families and then help others. And as we do this he will continue to bless us. Stinginess does not bring happiness. I am sure we have all known them, and it may be ourselves, people who are stingy are not happy people. True generosity brings contentment and happiness.
What about motivation?
We do need to have the right motivation for our generosity. We should not be doing it for the praise of others. Our motivation should come from the realization that whatever we have is because God has given it to us. This makes me think of the rich men who gave generously into the treasury but Jesus said a poor widow gave more than they all with only two mites. They gave from their abundance and she gave all she had (see Luke 21:1-4).
What can we do to be more generous?
Being more generous starts with knowing that all belongs to God and dedicating all our resources to Him. We need to practice being frugal with our money. Setting up a budget is a good thing to do. We can rely on God to help us know what we need to give and when. Give of yourself as God directs you. And as much as possible make it anonymous so that God gets the glory and we can stay humble. “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which is in secret himself shall reward thee openly” Matthew 6:3, 4.
Dear Father,
We commit our lives to You. All that we have is Yours. We want to listen to Your voice and do those things that are pleasing to You. Give us Your wisdom.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Give all to Him today and let Him lead and guide you.
Love you all.
How has the Lord blessed you as you have given to Him? I would love to hear your story.