When you think of generosity, you might look at the size of the gift or the nobility of the cause. But Jesus measured generosity by the condition of the giver’s heart. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

So, giving is more than an obligation for followers of Jesus; it is an exciting opportunity to lay up treasure that will last for all eternity. Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:35b).

Yet statistics show that North American Christians give proportionately less than they did during the Great Depression.

Even with the present recession, God has positioned His people with unprecedented wealth and opportunity to glorify the risen Jesus by mirroring His generosity.