I'm going to go out on a limb here. Generosity is hard. And I’m not talking about the kind of generosity that’s extended when you’re in a good mood, or when it’s a close friend’s birthday, or the generosity that’s planned in advance, like helping out at the Red Cross next Thursday at 2PM. I’m talking about the generosity that gives time to people who don’t say thank you. The generosity that’s required of you when you planned a day to yourself and you receive a call from a friend in need of your support. The generosity that truly takes from you. Yeah, that’s hard. Nobody ever wants to think of themselves as being selfish in any sense of the word, but the truth is, we are innately selfish beings. Even the most generous people have areas of their lives that remain off-limits. I’ll speak for myself and say that oftentimes I respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompt to be selfless with a “Man, can’t I just put me first just this once?” Perhaps you’ve uttered that a few times yourself, so how about we explore this whole generosity thing together?
Extensive research exists on the positive repercussions of generosity on the brain. One study states that simple acts of kindness towards others boosts one’s immune system and sparks the production of serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood and the body’s internal clock, among other cognitive functions (McIntosh, 2018), in both the giver and the recipient. This release of serotonin also occurs in those witnessing a selfless act from the outside (King, 2011)! Giving actually is contagious. Another study reveals that participating in service acts significantly correlates with “lower depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and mortality and functional inability” (Yeung, et al., 2018). Likewise, giving of one’s self increases happiness, which stimulates the reward areas of the brain, like the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, which then results in that warm fuzzy feeling one experiences after helping others (Park, et al., 2017).
As I often say to myself after sifting through loads of scientific research and reading fancy terms, “Jesus said it first.” All of these claims support Proverbs 11:25 which plainly states, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Considering all of the personal benefits that are experienced by the giver, one may wonder if generosity itself is a bit selfish! Could it be that we subconsciously give because of how good it makes us feel? Whatever one’s motives, God knows. He knows when giving is done out of a place of, “Look at me being selfless! Wow I’m so generous!” versus a humble posture of, “Jesus, you give generously every day and if I am called to be like you, then my generous spirit is required.” Also, consider how beautiful it is that God designed generosity as something that would benefit both parties. Even in denying the self, we are aiding in our own personal growth as Christians. Wow.
Generosity is a decision. It is an everyday, conscious act of telling yourself, “no,” for the benefit of someone else. It does not mean neglecting personal, healthy boundaries, but rather, discerning when you can do without “that” thing and instead, giving someone else the satisfaction of experiencing “it.” Selfishness may be our default desire, but it does not have to be the deciding factor for how we live. In her book, Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally, Patti Digh says it this way, “Being generous often consists of simply extending a hand. That’s hard to do if you are grasping tightly to your righteousness, your belief system, your superiority, your assumptions about others, your definition of normal.” Dear reader, I urge you to develop the habit of giving, as if your resources are supplied by an endless Source, The Source. Christ himself.
References:
Davis, T. (2019). What Is Generosity? (And How to Be a More Generous Person). Psychology
Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201902/what-is-generosity-and-how-be-more-generous-person
King, E. (2011). Kindness can change your life. The Advertiser.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/kindness-can-change-your-life/news-story/2f164b674ffa8ee25d700a5205fec817?sv=4215f6f6be590f9bfc4ee8a891146d22
McIntosh, J. (2018). What is serotonin and what does it do? Medical News Today.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248
Park, S. Q., Kahnt, T., Dogan, A., Strang, S., Fehr, E., & Tobler, P. N. (2017). A neural link
between generosity and happiness. Nature communications, 8, 15964. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15964
Yeung, J., Zhang, Z., & Kim, T. Y. (2017). Volunteering and health benefits in general adults:
cumulative effects and forms. BMC public health, 18(1), 8.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8
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