Description

Definition
The aptitude of generosity is the ability to give money and material resources in an unusually liberal, timely, and cheerful way to needy people or projects. Being wealthy or having many possessions is not necessary.
Because of people’s busy schedules and increased self-centeredness, many find it easier to give money than become personally involved. That is not necessarily the aptitude of generosity.
The scriptures encourage generosity. For example, if a man’s gift is “contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously” (Rom. 12:8). The apostle Paul honored the believers at Macedonia for their generosity: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (2 Cor. 8:2-3).
Generosity is an expression of kindness because its main emphasis is meeting another person’s need or desire. For example, Paul told a crowd that God “has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17). God gave to them as an expression of His kindness.
If generosity is your motivation, you would often prefer to give someone something than to do something for them. You may frequently give or lend things to people, and may have difficulty refusing someone who asks.
Your other aptitudes will determine how you express your generosity. If you are people-oriented, you may be universally generous, inclined to give to everyone. If your nature includes both generosity and mercy, you would probably want to give to everyone who is needy. If you are introverted, however, you may have little interest in personal involvement and may not be people-oriented at all, preferring to give anonymously.
You may be very selective in your giving and even avoid close relationships so people will not feel free to ask you for money. You might avoid needy people so you do not have to feel their need and decide whether to help them.
Your emphasis on material resources gives you a strong desire to deal with large sums of money or other possessions because they are the resources you can give. This may cause you to be drawn to high-paying jobs, for example, or motivate you to stockpile goods or develop large financial reserves. You may have an uncanny ability to make money through investments or business. While some believe God keeps Christians humble by keeping them poor, you understand your prosperity is from God and enables you to be generous on every occasion (see 2 Cor. 9:6-11). Humility relates to your attitude, not your net worth. Jesus told the rich young man to sell his possessions and give to the poor because He knew the man was preoccupied with his great wealth and unwilling to part with it (Matt. 19:21-23).
Not everyone motivated by generosity has large incomes, however; poor people also can have this gift. You want to give generously, whether you have great resources or very little.
Although you are generous toward others, you may have very conservative personal spending habits. You might live a conservative lifestyle and manage your own money well to free more of it for giving. You probably see it as your responsibility to use your resources wisely, so you understand stewardship and accountability. In turn, this causes you to be selective about giving to someone in need. You would prefer they use your gift wisely, and if you believe they will, you are inclined to give very generously. When you choose to give, you prefer to give significant amounts to accomplish something worthwhile; small gifts seem virtually useless to you. If you think the person might squander your gift, however, you may choose not to give at all.
You may have a knack for making wise purchases because you appreciate quality. This also causes you to know that not all opportunities are good ones, which enables you to know when not to give. Specifically, you can often distinguish between a needy person’s desire and their legitimate need, and you recognize that giving money or other resources is not always the best solution.
You may prefer that people not ask you for help because you give on your own initiative when you see a need. You might give anonymously because you have little interest in people’s appreciation, especially if you are introverted. To you, the issue is taking care of the need, and that is what fulfills you.

Typical Characteristics
● Live a conservative lifestyle and manage your money well to free more of it for giving.
● Prefer to give anonymously to someone in need.
● Prefer to give someone something, rather than do something for them.

Tendencies
Priorities:
● Money. Conservative in your spending, you use your money wisely and consider it a resource.
● Objects. You take good care of what you own, to make it last so you get your money’s worth out of it. You are likely to buy higher-quality merchandise because you believe it is a better long-term value.

Misunderstandings
People may view your need to deal with large quantities of resources as a focus on temporal values. Some may be concerned about your desire to increase the effectiveness of a person or program by giving to it, thinking you are trying to control with your gift. You can avoid this by giving anonymously. The more selective you are in giving, the more you will resist people’s attempts to pressure you; this occasionally makes you appear unwilling to give. If you choose not to give but have resources to do so, others may consider you greedy.

Vocations and Roles
Philanthropy.

Perversions

Self-Centeredness
(Perverts your aptitude by focusing it on you, emphasizing the pleasure or fulfillment it gives you.)
You prefer to decide for yourself when and how much to give, so pressure can make you angry. If you are a self-centered introvert, you may demand total anonymity when you give. If you are a self-centered extrovert, you may demand public recognition of your donation. Self-centeredness can make you consider your contribution an investment, so you expect a return of some kind.

Extremes
(Perverts by exaggerating, taking your characteristics and tendencies to extremes.)
Generosity in the extreme might cause you to “give everything away,” even if you cannot afford to. If your conservative fiscal habits become extreme, you might amass great material wealth and possessions, even if living an austere lifestyle. On the other hand, extreme self-centeredness may cause you to be self-indulgent, lavishing yourself with all the benefits of your wealth.

Control
(Self-centeredness makes you want to be in control, and you struggle for control in a way that is unique to your character.)
You can use your large gifts as leverage when you disagree with the recipient’s plans or when you have a personal agenda. You might give or withhold your contribution to gain influence or power.

Redemption

Putting on Important Traits
Certain godly character traits are especially important to you as a giver. Consciously developing the following traits will cause your contributions to have the greatest effect.

● Humility (Considers self relatively unimportant compared to others; prevents using abilities for one’s own satisfaction.) Humility prevents you from seeking any kind of return on your “investment,” including honor, control, and the satisfaction it gives you. As you develop humility, you will give anonymously more frequently, but will be unconcerned if your contribution becomes public.
● Agape (Considers others’ welfare, needs, interests, and desires more important than your own; motivates you to act for others’ benefit regardless of personal impact.) Agape might motivate you to be even more generous or more discerning to identify legitimate needs so you can produce the greatest benefit with your resources. It also motivates you to help others even when it involves personal sacrifice.
● Kindness (Appropriate, mild, and pleasant behavior toward others; expressed in actions that meet another person’s need or desire.) Kindness causes you to act in response to others’ needs and well-being. Though your contribution may not include the social behavior and interaction normally attributed to kindness, your intent clearly is to meet another person’s need or desire.
● Faith or faithfulness (Firm conviction regarding something for which there is no proof; action based on such conviction.) You can be confident God will supply your need and replenish your resources as you care for the needs of others.
● Goodness (Action on another’s behalf, whether pleasant or unpleasant to them; motivates you to do what is best for others.) This prompts you to do what is most beneficial to those in need, which may be refusing to give when that is most beneficial.

Repentance, Renewing Your Mind
(The changes you need to make in the way you think, including your attitudes, standards, priorities, and perspective.)
You must view your role as providing for the legitimate needs of others and consider each generous contribution an expression of kindness. God has given you the ability to produce or accumulate resources and make them available to others as needed. Consider it an honor to be a steward of whatever resources God entrusts to you to meet other people’s needs.
If someone’s material need is a symptom rather than the problem itself, you may even do them a disservice by giving generously to them. In such cases, you would serve them best by acknowledging that suffering has a significant role in people’s development, especially if it causes them to turn to God for help.

Denying and Humbling Yourself
(Rejecting your own desires and self-interests. Refusing to be motivated by desire for recognition or credit for the results.)
Others will appreciate your help and may honor you for your generosity, but you need to accept their response graciously while considering the recognition unimportant. You could easily become egotistical about your resources and your ability to do for others what they cannot do for themselves. One way to reject that desire for glory is to emphasize the other person’s need and consider yourself nothing more than a resource for them to use as needed. Another way to deny yourself is to give with “no strings attached.”

Taking up Your Cross
(Accepting that which has potential for great harm, threatens to break you down, or reveals your inadequacies.)
You may have a family member who frequently asks for financial help, or maybe your spouse wants to enjoy your wealth rather than give it away. This can create great stress in an important relationship and may be one form of taking up your cross.
If you have a natural ability for creating wealth through business, you understand the importance of protecting your source, the system that produces your wealth. Someday you might have to take up your cross by meeting a need that exceeds your resources and could even cripple your ability to produce additional wealth.
God may place you in a low-paying job to test your willingness to crucify your pride and learn what it is like to receive so you can learn to give more graciously. Such a situation is a deathblow to the sinful expression of your generous nature, which wants to give rather than receive.

Following Jesus
(How you uniquely imitate Jesus by doing what He would in your situation.)
Jesus sometimes did not meet people’s expectations because He instead addressed their real issues. God can use material need to draw a person’s attention to their deeper needs, so by meeting their material need you might interfere with God’s work in their life. On the other hand, providing for someone’s material need can be an excellent opportunity to address their real issues. You must use discernment and give generously only when it is appropriate.

Becoming Like a Child
(Accepting what God gives you, believing what He tells you, trusting Him to take care of you, and simply doing what He says.)
You can trust God to replenish your supply by His standards, not necessarily yours, whether the difference is in the amount or form. You may see an obvious material need, yet God tells you not to act, or He may have you give when you cannot see a need. The issue is to simply do what He says and leave the results to Him.