Living Generously: Moving from Scarcity to Abundance

How we view God determines the quality of our generosity. When we understand God as generous, gracious, and loving, it transforms how we live our lives. From the very beginning, God has demonstrated His generosity – breathing life into Adam, sending Jesus as the ultimate gift, and continually blessing His children.

But many of us struggle to live generously because we’re stuck in unhealthy patterns with our finances and resources. Let’s explore the three stages of generosity and how we can move from scarcity to abundance.

What Does It Mean to Live in the “Not Enough” Stage?

The first stage many of us experience is the “not enough” stage. This is where:

• You constantly feel like you don’t have enough to make ends meet
• Money seems to disappear as soon as you get it
• You’re motivated by fear rather than faith when it comes to finances
• You focus on lack and deficiency rather than abundance
• You may feel entitled or like a victim of your circumstances

Haggai 1:6 describes this perfectly: “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

In this stage, we often try to be our own provider instead of trusting God. We believe if we just work harder or get more money, our problems will be solved. But the reality is that in this mindset, no amount is ever enough.

How Do We Break Free from “Not Enough”?

The biblical solution to break free from the “not enough” stage is the tithe. Tithing means returning 10% of our income back to God through the local church. It’s not because God needs our money, but because we need the reminder that He is first in our finances.

Malachi 3:8-12 provides a powerful promise: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my temple. If you do, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in. Try it! Put me to the test!”

Tithing:

• Breaks the curse of “not enough”
• Removes fear from our finances
• Is an act of trust and faith
• Positions us for blessing

When we tithe, we’re acknowledging that God is our provider and everything we have comes from Him. It’s the first step toward financial freedom.

What Happens in the “Just Enough” Stage?

The second stage is “just enough.” In this stage:

• You’re no longer constantly worried about making ends meet
• You’ve patched the financial holes
• You have what you need, but little margin

However, this stage comes with its own challenges. Even if we’re tithing, we might still believe the other 90% is completely ours to use however we want. We might love the gifts more than the Gift-Giver.

The rich young ruler in Mark 10 illustrates this perfectly. He followed all the commandments but couldn’t part with his possessions when Jesus asked him to. Jesus identified that this man loved his stuff more than he loved God.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:24 that “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” In the “just enough” stage, we must confront our own selfishness and greed.

How Do We Move Beyond “Just Enough”?

We break free from “just enough” through stewardship. Stewardship means managing what God has entrusted to us according to His purposes.

Good stewards:

• Create and follow a budget
• Build margin into their finances
• Recognize that money is a tool to be used for good
• Understand that their resources have a purpose beyond themselves

When we become better stewards, God can trust us with more. As Jesus taught in the parable of the talents, “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given” (Matthew 25:29).

What Does “More Than Enough” Look Like?

The final stage is “more than enough.” This is where we experience overflow in our lives – not just financially, but in every area. We have abundance that allows us to be a blessing to others.

Proverbs 11:24-26 says, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”

In this stage:

• Generosity becomes a lifestyle, not just an event
• You’re positioned to meet needs as they arise
• You become a conduit of God’s blessing to others
• You model God’s generosity to the world

God wants to bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. He wants you to overflow so that others can catch the excess of what He’s entrusted to you.

How Can We Live Generously in All Areas?

Living generously extends beyond money. We can be generous with:

• Our time – investing in others even when we’re busy
• Our words – offering encouragement and building others up
• Our talents – using our gifts to serve others and honor God
• Our resources – sharing what God has given us (homes, vehicles, connections)

Remember, you can’t take any of it with you when you die. As the Tolstoy story reminds us, a man only needs six feet of land for his grave. Everything else we accumulate stays here.

Life Application

Take some time to honestly assess which stage of generosity you’re currently in:

• If you’re in the “not enough” stage, your next step is to begin tithing. Trust God with the first 10% of your income and watch how He provides.
• If you’re in the “just enough” stage, focus on becoming a better steward. Create a budget, build margin, and recognize that all your resources belong to God.
• If you’re in the “more than enough” stage, look for ways to make generosity your lifestyle. How can you use your abundance to bless others and advance God’s kingdom?

Ask yourself these questions:

• How does my view of God affect my generosity?
• What am I holding onto that God might be asking me to release?
• In what areas of my life (beyond money) could I be more generous?
• What would it look like if I truly believed everything I have belongs to God?

Remember, generosity isn’t about what you do—it’s about who you are. As followers of Christ, we’re called to reflect the generous heart of our Father. When we live generously, we experience the joy and freedom that comes from open-handed living in a tight-fisted world.