Kerby Anderson

Now that Christmas is behind us, you may be thinking of any final gifts you might want to give to your church or Christian organizations. If you are listening to this right now, I would certainly recommend you support the radio station that is carrying this commentary. If you are reading it, you might follow the links to the platform that provides it.

The December issue of Outlook produced by the Point of View Radio Talk Show focuses on generosity. I wrote an article about “Generosity and Charitable Giving” by citing the research done by Professor Arthur Brooks in his book, Who Really Cares? He reminds us that Americans are givers. Professor Rodney Stark documents that Christians out-give the U.S. government in addressing global poverty.

One of the other articles was by David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby. In the excerpt from his book, Giving It All Away, he talks about his success and his decision to give the ownership of Hobby Lobby to God. He calls for Christians to give generously to churches and other ministries. We have had three generations of the Green family on my radio program. They have left a legacy of giving to ministries.

Another person we quote is Randy Alcorn, author of The Treasure Principle. He affirms “God’s full ownership of me (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and everything entrusted to me (Psalm 24:1). I recognize that my money and possessions are in fact His.” He does this in obedience because he desires God’s blessing (Malachi 3:6-12).

We learn in 1 Chronicles 29:12 that “both riches and honor come from God.” Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that God is the one “who gives you power to get wealth.”

As we come to the end of this year, please be generous as you give to God’s ministry here on earth.