A Generous God
Frugal Patterns
A common trait in MIdwesterners is frugality. Working hard under harsh winter conditions and beastly humid summers creates toughness and tenacity in those who live through it. You do what you have to do to get by. That includes pinching pennies. Using coupons and shopping the clearance rack is a way of life. Finding a deal is cause for boasting and celebration. Jobs with retirement benefits lure even young adults.
Growing up in this frugal way of living shaped me. I like stretching a dollar to get the most possible value from it. My husband jokes that I don’t enjoy a meal out unless we use a coupon. Shopping on Black Friday is almost as fun as Disneyland. Decorating my house with thrift store finds brings me joy. We buy used cars and drive them until they can no longer be fixed. It’s how we do life.
Fear of Scarcity
In the first fifteen or so years of our marriage, my frugality helped us stay afloat. We had Christmas gifts, birthdays, and vacations because of my careful planning. My husband appreciated those strengths I brought to our marriage.
If my shrewd budgeting was motivated entirely by a desire to be a good steward of our finances, it would have had long term helpful effects in our home. Instead, my prudence sprung from fear. Our meager income challenged our ability to thrive. I feared not having enough to cover our bills and sustain our family. My frugality became a means to control our money. I didn’t trust God to care for us, so I needed to hold onto every penny to make it count. I wasn’t stingy. I liked being generous. But my fear of scarcity kept me from the joy of freely giving.
No Fear of Scarcity
On the other hand, my husband was not concerned about money. He knew our income. He didn’t believe he could spend whatever he wanted and have it all magically work out. We both worked hard for the income we had and it was important that we valued the money we earned.
What I noticed about my husband is that when we sacrificially gave to others, he had no fear of us going without. He knew something about God that I did not yet know. He trusted God in a way I didn’t.
My husband articulated this surety when we once considered buying an item for our girls. I believed the purchase was beyond what we should spend. He disagreed. I questioned him about it, wanting to be wise. He said, “Louise, I don’t want our financial decisions to be based in fear. I want our girls to know God as a generous God. If we’re always afraid about money, they will never know His generous heart for them.”
God’s Lavish Nature
I had never before thought of God as generous, which revealed how much I didn’t know Him. And, of course, my husband wasn’t only speaking of God’s heart to care for us financially. He affirmed the lavish nature of God’s love for the world. If I or our daughters believed God to be closefisted, we would miss receiving the grace offered to us.
God’s lavish generosity touches us every day. It’s our fear and shame that keep us blind to it. God opens His hands and pours out His extravagant mercies on us. Oh, that we would believe and receive it, freeing us to experience His great love.
Psalm 145:16 “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (NASB1995)
Photo by Chungkuk Bae on Unsplash
Questions to Ponder: Do you believe God is a generous God? Why or why not?