Source: JW publications, w8/18 pp. 18-22
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Jehovah is a generous giver
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EVEN though Jehovah was completely alone
before he began to create, he was not thinking only of himself. On the
contrary, he gave the gift of life to intelligent creatures, both spirit and
human.
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“The happy God,” Jehovah, loves to give good
things. (1 Tim.
1:11; Jas.
1:17) And since he also wants us to be happy, he teaches us to
be generous.—Rom.
1:20
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It is very clear from the way that we are
made and from the beauty and riches of our natural environment that God wants
humans to be happy. (Ps.
104:24; 139:13-16)
Hence, we honor him when we strive to make others happy.
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The Creator was keenly interested in the
welfare of his creation, hence, He gave the first human couple a huge project—Paradise
was to be extended earth wide for the benefit of their unborn children. (Gen
1:28)
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Jesus is a generous giver
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“The Son of man came, not to be ministered
to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matt.
20:28) Hence, the apostle Paul urged Christians: “Keep this
mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus . . . He emptied
himself and took a slave’s form.” (Phil.
2:5, 7)
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Example of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
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The Samaritan is not only interested in the
welfare of others, but He also looked for ways to care for the needs of the
wounded Jew. He brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, he
asked the inn-keeper to take care of the wounded Jew and gave him two denari. He
also said to the inn-keeper that whatever he spend besides this money, he will
repay it when he return.
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Example in modern times
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Consider the experience of Anna, a young single
sister, who expanded her ministry by moving to serve in an area of Eastern
Europe where the need for preachers is great. * “There
are a lot of opportunities to conduct Bible studies here, and I like that very
much,” she writes. “My service gives me great joy. When I get home, I don’t
have time to focus on myself. I think about those with whom I am
studying—their troubles and anxieties. I look for ways to encourage them and
help them in practical ways. And I have become convinced that ‘there is more
happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”—Acts
20:35.
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Why do we need to keep on cultivating
generosity?
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Jehovah wants his human creation to imitate
him, so it makes him happy when we are generous. (Eph.
5:1)
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Apostle Paul urged Christians to imitate
Christ, who provided us with the perfect example of how a human can be
generous. (1Peter 2:21)
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Generosity is related to the issue Satan
raised in the garden of Eden. How so? Satan asserted that Adam and Eve—and by
extension all humanity—would be better off focusing on themselves and putting
the pursuit of their own interests ahead of obedience to God. Eve acted out of
a selfish desire to be like God. Adam manifested a selfish desire to please
Eve. (Gen.
3:4-6) The results of their decisions are plain to see.
Selfishness does not lead to happiness; quite the opposite. By being
generous, we demonstrate our conviction that God’s way of doing things is the
best.
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Jesus stated that the two greatest
commandments are to love Jehovah with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength
and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark
12:28-31) Those who love Jehovah imitate him. Jehovah gives to
others, and so does Jesus. And they recommend that we do the same, for it will
make us truly happy. If we strive to manifest this generous spirit in our
dealings with both God and neighbor, we will bring honor to Jehovah and benefit
ourselves and others.
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Rewards of being a generous giver
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Great happiness comes from seeing
appreciative individuals light up when they grasp spiritual truths, grow in
faith, make changes, and start sharing the truth with others.
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We can find happiness in giving people the
opportunity to respond to the message of good news even if they choose not to
listen. Even if some do not appreciate our message, Jehovah appreciates our
efforts. (Hebrews 6:10.)
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