Generosity: Where Your Treasure Is

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21

We all pretty much know what generosity is - serving other people, sacrificing things that we want for others, giving money to the church, etc. But how do you gauge if you are a generous person? Just like an evil person could do one good thing and still remain an evil person, a selfish person could do one generous thing and still remain selfish. So how do we tell?

I think Matthew 6:19-21 can help us. You see, generosity is really about the state of your heart. If you give money to the church but you are only doing it because you want the people around you to think good things about you, then you’re not being generous. On the other hand, you could give the same amount of money with an eagerness to let God use you, and then that would be generous.

If you’re wondering whether or not you’re generous, ask yourself, “Where are my treasures?” If you are constantly investing in yourself more than other people, chances are you’re not a generous person. If you rarely think of yourself and invest your time and money into others and into the church, then you are probably a generous person.

If you’re having trouble shaking off selfishness or consumerism, pray. And even more so, fast. Fasting teaches us to deny ourselves for God’s sake. What better way to prime yourself for generosity?