Generosity reaches it’s full potential when combined with stewardship. Webster’s definition of stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”. Stewardship includes things like monthly budgeting, avoiding debt, saving for emergencies and investing for the future. Webster's definition of generosity is “the quality of being kind or generous”. Someone could be a good manager of their money and not be generous. Likewise, someone else could be somewhat generous without being a great steward. However, the people I have known who are exceptionally generous understand and harness the power of both stewardship and generosity.
Continuing to apply the principles of stewardship and generosity can be more difficult times. It can challenge and stretch our faith in God as our Provider and Rewarder (II Corinthians 9). Proportional giving as we are prospered helps us to think through it in a Biblical way (I Corinthians 16:2). We teach the principles of stewardship and generosity The Joy of Generosity class.
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