If it is giving, give generously
Romans 12:8
ὁ μεταδιδοὺς ἐν ἁπλότητι
{the one} giving in generosity
ἁπλότης [haplotēs] singleness, sincerity (without self seeking), generosity (copious bestowal), bountifulness, liberal (-ity), simplicity, singleness.
There have been commentators who think this is a technical term for a church office or a church officer. The giving department, the member care department. Wow maybe there were food banks back there in Paul’s time or the offices of Rome’s Urban Poor (cf Asia’s Urban Poor). But there is no need to think that. It is clear in my mind from the use of the word for “generously”, bountifully or giving copiously that we are not talking about a church office. A church office would not give copiously. I think this is an individual giving not an organisation or institution.
There have been many times over the years I have observed that the ones who lack appear to be more generous than those who have money. There seems to be a law of inverse proportion operating in this matter. Those who have hang on to it more whereas those who have less are more willing to give it away. How strange! People in rural villages we have visited across the world seem more ready to give out of their meagre means than those who have an abundance.
I met a man in the back blocks of Papua New Guinea while on a linguistic survey. We (5 of us white strangers) arrived at a remote village unannounced at dusk. The people proceeded to clear out a house and clean it to allow us the use of it for the night. They took their last chicken and cooked it so we had something to eat. After the meal I got into a conversation with an old man. He asked me if we had tomatoes for the trail the next day. [Tomatoes are good as a vegetable that has high water content when hiking]. I told him no. He invited to go with him to his garden so he could give me some tomatoes. I declined the offer knowing PNG gardens are far from the village and it was already approaching 10.00 pm. Also it’s hard to follow a Papua New Guinean man through the bush in the dark. As I was leaving with the others on the trail the next morning this man came up to me carrying a bundle of tomatoes as we made our way out of the village. He had gone to his garden for me in the middle of the night and had come back early with the tomatoes to make sure I had something for the trail. Me, a white stranger he would never see again and all of my friends. I suspect he gave all he had to care for us. Go ye and do likewise.
Are you generous to the point of excess? Allow me to add one other thought. Don’t think that I am saying people who are wealthy don’t give. That is not true. There are many who have the ministry or the gift of giving. Don’t look down on a person just because they have a lot of money. There are many who are blessed abundantly because they are such generous givers. God uses them, earmarks them as a channel of his blessing because He knows He can trust them with it. They won’t keep it to themselves. There are kings and priests. Many are kings because they provide the resources of kingdom to enable the priests to do their work. They “plunder the nations” to provide resources for the kingdom. Think about it; it’s deep.
The world’s poor feel we ate the appetizers, entrees & dessert, then asked them to tea & said ‘Let’s split the bill.
Freidman
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
Anonymous
Do your giving while living!
Anonymous