I am convinced the key to audacious generosity is found in spending time with God and getting to know what He values. There is no quick and instant download here. What I’m about to share has taken me more than twenty years to learn — and I’m still learning!
God’s ways are so much higher than ours. We have to make major adjustments to conform to His ways.
Allow me to share twelve things God values as revealed in His Word.
1: GOD VALUES STEWARDSHIP
By stewardship, I mean we understand that God owns everything we have. Every time Shelly and I receive income, we return the first 10 percent or a tithe back to God. There is no shortage of Scriptures on this subject: Gen. 14:19–20, Gen. 28:20–22, Lev. 27:30–34, Num. 18:21, Num. 18:26, Deut. 12:5–6, Deut. 14:22, Deut. 14:28–29, 2 Chron. 31:4–5, Neh. 10:35–37, Prov. 3:9–10, Amos 4:4–5, Mal. 3:8–9, Mal. 3:10–12, Matt. 6:1–4, Matt. 23:23, Mark 12:41–44, Luke 11:42, Luke 18:9–14, Heb. 7:1–2.
We remember from where it comes. We are stewards of the remaining 90 percent. God is the owner of it all. We live openhandedly assured of our security in Christ and grateful to be a channel by which God flows His resources from heaven onto the earth. We share. We manage. That’s why financial management is so important. It’s that simple.
That’s stewardship.
2: GOD VALUES FIRST FRUITS
God used The Blessed Life series by Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas to teach us the principle of “First Fruits” (Leviticus 23:10, Exodus 22:29, 1 Corinthians 15:20–23). When Jesus says, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) (NIV), He was not kidding. I struggled my whole life to give a tithe only to learn we can’t give a tithe to God. All we can do is return the tithe back to God. It’s not ours to give. This was the beginning of my journey from getting to giving.
3: GOD VALUES BLESSING YOU
Shelly and I immediately began to systematically return a 10 percent tithe back to God (Malachi 3:8). God used Pastor Robert to make it clear: we can either live under a curse or a blessing. Right then and there, Shelly and I decided we would be more than glad to live on the remaining 90 percent.
Since then, we have not missed returning the full tithe to God. This unlocked the door to God’s blessings in our life.
We can’t rob God of our tithes and offerings and expect to live a life of audacious generosity.
That would be like your friend stealing your car and then coming to ask you for a ride — it would be ridiculous.
4: GOD VALUES OBEDIENCE
It takes courage and freedom to simply obey. No matter your convictions, I encourage you to always err on the side of faith and obedience (Luke 6:46). Jesus is worth it. God is always faithful. We can never outgive God. Audacious generosity has to do with way more than just our financial giving.
5: GOD VALUES HIS WHY FOR GIVING
God only offers us two reasons to give. The first: God’s more is more of Himself. The second: God’s more is more for Himself. The same is true through you. We are to give everything we give to result in more of God or more for God (1 Corinthians 10:23–33). Adopting God’s motives for giving changes everything. It is important that you understand God is only interested in you giving more of Him to others or more for Him to others. When I accepted the purpose of my giving is for more of God or more for God, something released in heaven. It’s like the floodgates opened up.
6: GOD VALUES ETERNAL LIFE
In John 3:16, we see the reason God loved the whole world and gave Jesus is so that people would not perish, but have eternal life. God’s motives for giving will always lead you to His compassion for the lost, His desire for the gospel to be advanced, and for the Great Commission to be fulfilled.
7: GOD VALUES COMPASSION FOR THOSE FACING A CHRISTLESS ETERNITY
Eternity is at stake in the lives of billions of people far from God. The Bible teaches us there are two options (Romans 6:23). Everyone on the planet will either spend eternity in Option A: Heaven in the presence of God, or in Option B: Hell outside the presence of God. There is no Option C.
8: GOD VALUES THE GREAT COMMISSION
I encourage you to see how God is setting the stage for your life to be a miracle. Audacious generosity is God’s strategy for fulfilling the Great Commission. Fulfilling the Great Commission requires a miracle just like the Feeding of the Multitude did in John 6:5–15. Just like then, God is looking for empty hands He can fill for His mission.
9: GOD VALUES THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL
The main reason for audacious generosity is for the advancement of the gospel. Consider the three billion people alive today that have no access to the gospel. Their need for salvation is no different than the need for food during the miracle of the Feeding of the Multitude.
10: GOD VALUES AUDACIOUS GENEROSITY
In the Feeding of the Multitude, the disciples experienced, received, and gave more than they ever thought possible.
They literally took the pieces of fish and loaves, which Jesus had just broken and blessed, and began distributing it to the people. What man produced (a small boy’s lunch) was multiplied by what God could produce.
11: GOD VALUES MIRACLES
Depending on what we can produce is like putting out the flames of hell with a medicine dropper one drop at a time.
Depending on what God can produce is like putting out the flames of hell with a forceful firehose that never runs dry.
We can give the proportion that we can produce (tiny) or we can give the proportion of what God can produce (limitless).
Our proportion is like, “So what?” God’s proportion brings heaven to earth.
12: GOD VALUES MULTIPLICATION
We don’t need addition. We need multiplication. I want you to keep hearing God say, “You can feed your family, but I can feed the multitude.”
Flipping the switch from getting more to giving more is important because the watching world needs to see the miracles only God can perform. When it comes to accumulating more, it seems a lot of us flip the verse Mark 8:36,
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (NIV). We say, “Oh, heaven forbid that anyone lose their soul.” We take Jesus only for salvation and say, “check,” thinking we are now allowed to gain the whole world. Accumulate more. Rent more storage units. Buy more. This is an indication of having a wrong perspective of God’s more, His motives, and His strategy.
THE VALUE OF A HUMAN SOUL
What is the value of a human soul? Nothing is worth anyone spending eternity separated from God in hell because I got more instead of giving more.
Now, I am not anti-material possession. Our family owns a home. We have dependable cars. I own multiple modest priced shoes, watches, and wallets from multiple countries around the world. God has not stripped our family of material possessions. That’s not the point. The point is that our purpose is not rooted in seeking more. Instead, our focus is on giving more, more, and more.
Jesus promises that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
It has been well said that we are most like Jesus when we are giving. We can’t outgive God. Since flipping the switch from
getting more to giving more, I have experienced, received, and given more than I ever thought possible. I am not perfect.
I can be selfish and greedy, but my purpose drives me back to audacious generosity — and that’s when miraculous things occur. Look at Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him,” (NLT).
The more I give, the more I get. I’m not giving to get. I am giving to give, but then I turn around and see that I have always received. When I say, “God’s more is never a subtraction of His blessings to you. God’s more is always a multiplication of His blessings to others through you,” I mean it. I’ve lived it. It is my personal experience backed up by the Word of God.
— From pages 187–194 in Audacious Generosity by Kevin White
God’s Values = My Values
About Audacious Generosity…
Given the choice, every one of us wants to be more generous, but fear holds us back. Audacious Generosity shows you to exchange any sense of pressure and regret about giving for genuine confidence and satisfaction.
With Audacious Generosity, God is the Giver, and giving depends on what God puts into your hands. Gone are the days where you feel pressured to be the giver. Instead, Audacious Generosity will empower you to give limitlessly — as God gives through you.
By reading this book, you will learn to enjoy a living relationship with God that’s fueled by courage, characterized by freedom, and overflowing with audacious generosity. As God combines courage and freedom in your life, you will experience, receive, and give more than you ever thought possible. See what happens when you open our hands to God and commit in advance to use what He puts into our hands to fulfill His mission.
For full details please visit https://kevinwhite.us
About Kevin White…
Twenty years ago, Kevin White needed food for his family. God said, “Feed others and your family will eat too.” Today the organization Kevin founded, With Love From Jesus Ministries continues to distribute millions of dollars a year in needed resources to high need populations. Kevin’s family never missed a meal, and Kevin went from barely surviving to thriving through Audacious Generosity.
For ten years, Kevin has been the Founder/Executive Director of Global Hope India a mission organization to Indian Nationals. He’s traveled to India fifty times hosting a thousand people on mission trips.
Kevin and his wife, Shelly, have three adult children and one grandchild. They live in Cary, North Carolina.
For full details please visit https://kevinwhite.us
About Kevin White
Kevin White is a Christian pastor, international speaker, and an international best-selling author. As a writer, Kevin’s newest book, Audacious Generosity, is a best new Christian Book of 2020. Audacious Generosity was an instant international best seller in India and the United States of America. Audacious Generosity is the New Book to Read in 2021. Look for it among Christianity books on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Kevin’s why for life is to extend access to Jesus to all people world-wide. Kevin loves to motivate people how to encounter the presence of God in their everyday life.
As a seasoned entrepreneur, Kevin has started and helped start hundreds of businesses, churches, and nonprofit organizations. Kevin is an expert in church leadership and business development. Kevin’s shepherd’s heart can be seen in his speaking and writing. He integrates Biblical principles and worship into everything he does. Kevin’s strategy is to help people transform into the likeness of Jesus. Find more from Kevin White including his blog, podcast shows, YouTube Channel, and Generously Blessed 1MM One Minute Motivational Series at https://kevinwhite.us
About Global Hope India
Kevin White is the Founder/Executive Director of Global Hope India, a Christian mission organization focused on sharing the gospel in India and among Indian Nationals world-wide. We facilitate virtual mission teams to India and short-term mission teams in-person in India. These teams empower the church in India with pastoral training, youth pastor training, children’s ministry, church planting strategy, church planting ministry, and medical missions.
Global Hope India is a Christian charity that raises funds for India. 92% of every dollar given benefits gospel outreach projects in India such as church planting, orphan care, clean water projects, bibles, medical clinics, etc. Our partners in India serve the Baptist mission in India, Church of God in India as well as independent Christian churches. We do one thing – advance the gospel in India. We do it in one way – through the local church in India. Join us today by praying for India, giving to God’s work in India and going virtually or in person to make disciples in India. Find out more information at https://globalhopeindia.org