Be Giving
A reflection on generosity, compassion, and trusting God without treating a gift as a deal or a guarantee of return.
A few weeks ago, I found myself short one tenant in my building. He had left many things behind when he closed his business. One was a huge soundboard used to display automotive electronics products. It was large, complex, and very heavy, and I needed it out of the rental unit before a viewing.
I remembered a conversation with an old acquaintance, Tom. He had mentioned that the new owners of another local automotive electronics store might be interested in the soundboard. I called him and said I wanted to sell it. I told him to get what he could and that I would split the money with him.
We agreed on a price, and the buyers came down to pick it up. It took time to disassemble the nine-foot unit into five pieces, so I shared some advice and helped load two of them into the truck. They paid me, and I put the money in my pocket. It felt good to have some cash after walking around with only five dollars for days.
Then I handed the money to Tom. He said, “That’s okay. You take what you want and give me the rest.” I told him, “No, you take it. I don’t need the money.”
I meant it as a gift, not a deal. I had once said it would come back to me tenfold, but I want to be careful about what that phrase means. Christians give because love calls us to give, not because God owes us a financial return. Scripture says, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and Jesus teaches His disciples to give without making repayment the condition (Luke 6:35).
Giving is love in action
Tom offered to return the favor. I told him that was not the point. I hoped that by sharing some of my own experiences I might encourage him to look at life differently. I cannot know or judge everything in another person’s heart, but I can choose to treat him with respect and generosity.
Saint Paul describes love as patient and kind, and says it “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7). Love does not keep score or use a gift to control someone. The Catechism calls charity the theological virtue by which we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves (CCC 1822).
The Church also teaches that works of mercy meet the needs of our neighbor in both body and spirit (CCC 2447). Sometimes that means giving money. Other times it means sharing knowledge, time, encouragement, or practical help. Generosity is not measured only by the size of a check.
When the timing feels remarkable
The weekend passed, and Monday at work was unusually busy for that time of year. That was a blessing in itself. I had been cutting it close in my checking account and had fallen behind on some thirty-day accounts.
I rarely work the sales floor, but a longtime customer, Don, came in asking about wheels for his Escalade. I was standing near a set I had bought for myself years earlier and never installed. I checked the records and asked my assistant manager what we should charge. We had advertised them for about $2,500, so I offered them to Don for that amount. He accepted.
The next day, I met with a new colleague, Virginia, and we talked about the idea of giving and receiving tenfold. I remembered what I had said to Tom: “That $250 will turn into $2,500 for me.” It felt striking that the wheel sale followed so soon after that conversation.
I can be grateful for the timing without claiming that God guarantees a tenfold financial return whenever we give. The wheel sale had its own circumstances, and Tom’s gift was not a purchase of a blessing. God is not a vending machine. Our generosity is a response to love, not a way to make God owe us prosperity.
Jesus warns against giving in order to be noticed or praised (Matthew 6:1–4). He also tells us to seek first God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Faith invites trust in God’s care, but it does not promise that every generous act will produce more money, a settlement, or a particular outcome. Sometimes the return is peace, friendship, solidarity, or the knowledge that someone’s burden was made lighter.
Giving when we are worried about our own bills
I remember another day when I was paying bills online and watching my account drain. The utility bills were especially high. I thought about people who might not be able to pay for heat or electricity at all, and I felt real concern for them. I decided to donate to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund.
The next morning, my attorney called to tell me that the insurance company had made an offer to settle a case over damage from a roofing contractor dating back to 2001. The timing surprised me. I had been worried about bills the day before, and then I heard about a substantial settlement.
I am thankful for that settlement, but I cannot say that my donation caused it or that God sent it as payment for my generosity. The case concerned damage that had happened years earlier. A Christian can notice a meaningful moment and give thanks without claiming certainty about why God allowed events to unfold in that order.
Our giving should also be prudent. The Church teaches that material goods are entrusted to us and should be used with concern for others and the common good (CCC 2402–2404). Generosity does not require neglecting dependents, refusing to pay legitimate obligations, or giving beyond what we can responsibly afford. We can give freely and wisely.
A new bike and an unexpected win
One evening my son and I went to the store to buy a birthday present for his friend. On the way to the toy department, we stopped to look at bicycles. My son had a single-speed bike that made our hilly neighborhood difficult to ride. I told him we would look at bikes again soon.
The next morning I kept thinking about a new friend who had recently sold his business. Most of the money had gone toward paying off debt, leaving him with little and no steady income. For some reason, I wondered whether he needed tires for his truck. I had never looked closely at the tires, but the thought stayed with me.
When I arrived at the store, my assistant manager told me the friend was coming in to have headlights installed. I asked about a set of used wheels and tires I had in stock, and he confirmed they would fit. I told my friend I had a feeling he needed tires. He laughed and said he did. I gave him the wheels and tires, and his smile said plenty.
Later that day, my son and I went to a Father and Son Bowling event. There was a raffle, and the grand prize was a mountain bike. I bought tickets and had a strong feeling we would win. When they first called a number, I thought I had missed it. Then the organizers announced that the ticket was invalid and called another number: 627. I checked my tickets and realized I had won.
It was a joyful surprise, especially after giving my friend the wheels and tires. But a raffle is still a raffle. I do not want to turn a lucky outcome into a rule that giving guarantees a reward. I am grateful for the bike and, just as much, for the time I spent bowling with my son and the other dads.
What generosity teaches us
These experiences have reminded me that giving opens our eyes to other people. When we notice someone else’s need, we can respond with compassion instead of assuming that everything must be kept for ourselves.
Sometimes we see an immediate result. Sometimes we do not. The Gospel does not promise a financial return on every act of kindness. It calls us to love our neighbor and entrust the fruit of that love to God.
Saint Paul writes, “Let each one do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). A gift should not be forced, used to shame someone, or given with a hidden demand. It should be offered freely, in a way that respects the dignity of both giver and receiver.
Jesus teaches us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). These commandments belong together. Our love for God becomes visible in the way we treat people, especially those in need (1 John 3:17–18).
A prayer for a generous heart
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts You have entrusted to me. Open my eyes to the needs of the people around me, and help me give with a willing and joyful heart.
Teach me to be generous without keeping score, to receive help with gratitude, and to use my resources with prudence. Keep me from treating Your blessings as something I can purchase or control.
May my words, time, abilities, and possessions become a source of good for others. Help me trust You whether I see an immediate return or not. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Conclusion
Giving from the heart can bring unexpected joy. It may strengthen a friendship, ease someone’s burden, or help us see our own lives with greater gratitude. We may also experience surprising timing, as I did with the sale, the settlement offer, and the raffle. But those moments are not a formula for guaranteed prosperity.
We give because Christ first loved us. We give in freedom, with compassion and prudence, and without demanding that God repay us. The blessing may come in money, but it may also come in peace, hope, friendship, or the quiet knowledge that we helped someone when we could.
Sometimes we must close our eyes to our own worries for a moment in order to see the person in front of us. Then, with wisdom and an open heart, we can give what is truly ours to give.