Too Much Generosity?

"How much is too much?"

I received this question after a recent post about generosity. How much is too much generosity? Can one be too generous? People have even called my advice on generosity "reckless." Can generosity be reckless?

I don't think you can be too generous. Sure, basic needs must ultimately be paid, but beyond a simple roof over our heads, food on the table, and adequate clothing, everything else is excess. If we look at every expenditure in our financial lives with true honesty, I suspect 70%-80% of our spending is some combination of want and need-extended.

Therefore, back to the original question. How much is too much? I don't think there is such a thing as too much generosity. Generosity, as Jesus defines it, is both joyful and sacrificial. The mere fact that we're asking if it's too much is a good sign we've ventured into "sacrificial" territory. For me personally, when I start questioning my own sanity, that's typically when I realize we're being adequately sacrificial. Then, if we can bear it, we push a little harder. It's a slow and steady ratchet of discomfort, pushing the needle on "how far is too far?"

Instead of asking how much of our resources we should give, I suggest we flip the script and ask how much we should keep. The moment we start to make ourselves uncomfortable on this topic is the point when we unlock a new type of joy and meaning in our lives. Instead of feeling a void from not having the things we believed we wanted, we receive the profound joy of knowing someone gets what they needed. It's life-changing.

I understand this is a spicy take for the culture we're living in. I'm not even suggesting that everyone make a hard 180-degree turn today. Rather, I encourage you to noodle on this idea. Sit in it. Come back to it now and again. Then, take one step in the direction of sacrificial generosity. Not a leap. Not some monumental shift. Nothing drastic. A step; one tiny step. Then maybe another.

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