4 Promises Tied to Generosity

Throughout Scripture, we see a generous God instructing his children to follow Him and be generous. When reading the passages on generosity, you begin to see giving principles emerge. God tells us we are to make giving a priority (Proverbs 3:9), an act of trust in His provision. God tells us we are to give proportionately (Malachi 3:10), giving according to what He has given us. God tells us we are to give sacrificially (2 Samuel 24:24), that biblical giving is not done out of excess but personal cost. And we read that God desires cheerful givers (2 Corinthians 9:7), not reluctant and begrudging ones.

Yes, God has woven many teachings and commands on generosity throughout Scripture. But He does more than provide various instructions—He provides promises. As one reads the Bible, they will find promises tied to a person’s biblical generosity. Let’s consider four of these promises.

Promise #1: God blesses the generous. 

When reading passages on biblical generosity, one will inevitably come across this promise.

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9, NIV).

“Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice” (Psalm 112:5, NIV).

“’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’” (Malachi 3:10, NIV).

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10, NIV). 

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25, NIV). 

The Scriptures are clear—God blesses the generous. Of course, we must be careful when interpreting such a promise. The totality of Scripture must be considered. Scripture helps us interpret Scripture. God can and sometimes will provide immense material blessings to the generous. He is the owner of all things (1 Corinthians 10:26), and every good gift is from Him (James 1:17). In the Bible, we do see examples of God materially blessing those who follow His commands.

But we also see examples of God not necessarily providing significant material blessings to the generous. There is no indication the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8), who gave out of their poverty, became exceedingly wealthy. God allowed Job to have his riches stripped from him. Most of the twelve disciples, who devoted their lives to Jesus, did not die surrounded by their wealth but were martyred, surrounded by those who hated them. Jesus was born in a barn and died on a cross. And even when God does bless us materially, the Bible gives us a clear purpose for the blessing—"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). God gives to us so we can give to others, not necessarily to live lavishly.

Do the examples above mean that God broke His promise? They do not. 

While God’s blessings are sometimes material, they are often spiritual and eternal (Matthew 6:20-22). And in God’s Kingdom, spiritual and eternal blessings far outweigh material blessings. In God’s Kingdom, the heart is more important than the bank account. God often blesses the generous in ways that bring greater satisfaction than a full bank account could ever produce.

Promise #2: When you let go of possessions, you take hold of life.

This promise could certainly flow from the promise above. Releasing the material leads to taking hold of the spiritual.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35, NIV).

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (I Timothy 6:18-19, NIV).

In 1 Timothy 6:18-19, the “they” to which Paul is referring are already Christians. Therefore, “truly life” is not referring to what believers experience after death. Instead, “truly life” are the present blessings of eternal life—contentment, satisfaction, being a part of something bigger than ourselves. A life that is characterized by Paul’s words to the Philippians:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12, NIV).

Unlike the rich, young ruler who sadly walked away from Jesus because he held tightly to his possessions, the generous get to walk toward Jesus with joy because they released their possessions. When you let go of your possessions, you get to take hold of life.

Promise #3: Your heart will follow your generosity.

The reverse of this promised is often assumed—our generosity will follow our heart. But the Bible tells us something different.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NIV).

The sequence is important to note. Are hearts are drawn to what we do with our money. If the primary focus of our finances is material possessions, our heart will be drawn to material possessions. If the primary focus of our finances is wealth accumulation, our heart will be drawn toward our wealth. But if the primary focus of our finances is God’s Kingdom, we will find our hearts intoxicated with the allure of God’s Kingdom.

The question we must answer is, “To what do we want our hearts drawn?” And if the answer is God’s Kingdom, we can trust that generously giving to the Kingdom will result in a heart drawn toward God and His mission.

Promise #4: Those who are generous will store up lasting treasures.

Sadly, many in the world will spend a lifetime trying to accumulate money and material possessions, only to be separated from them at death. Fortunately, the Bible gives us a promise. The biblical generous will find themselves with treasures for all eternity. Death does not result in a separation from treasure but an acquisition of treasure. 

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV).

“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9, NIV).

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21, NIV).

God promises the way to lasting treasure is by giving generously to His Kingdom. While open-handedness results in a grasping of “life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19) in the present, it also results in a grasping of eternal treasures in the future.

The Bible says much about generosity. We are designed, not to be hoarders, but conduits through which God’s generosity flows. And there are promises tied to our generosity, promises on which God will certainly deliver.