“Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will” (St. Ignatius).

I heard a pastor say once that no one stands at the foot of the cross and argues percentages. You won’t stand before the Savior with scars in His hands and feet to debate whether you tithe off your gross or your net income. In fact, if you have to count percentages, you probably haven’t yet learned the real spirit of generosity.

To be generous isn’t to give of your excess but to give everything like that widow who gave the two small coins that didn’t look like much but were all she had to live on.

Generosity is about more than money. It’s giving of your time, your treasure, and your talents because you believe that the Kingdom of God is like the pearl beyond price that you would give anything to own. Generosity says that real wealth is heavenly treasure that thieves can’t steal, that moths can’t get at, that rust can’t destroy.

Generosity means that you give because you have been given much. Because Jesus gave absolutely everything for you. Generosity isn’t just giving your time, talents, and treasures. It’s giving your life. It’s about giving your very self.