A couple of weeks ago, a tall man asked me for a few dollars. He said he ran out of gas and needed to make it to the next town to visit his grandchildren. I thought this sounded like an honest heart-felt story. Except when I looked closer, I recognized him as the guy who had asked me for gas money almost a year ago. That time it was to see his daughter in the hospital.
Before I could tell him I didn’t have any money on me, I nearly impulsively pulled out five dollars. I wanted to smack myself for doing that! I gave him the bill and went away feeling bad for giving away my money.
Why did I feel so much regret? Because I’m selfish. I told myself that the man would just spend that money on drugs or alcohol. I would of course do something much more productive like buy ice cream or Starbucks.
Many people, including myself, have become so materialistic that any form of giving becomes a source of regret because true peace should come with how much we have, right? True, we may write the occasional check to the church or to some natural disaster relief fund, but when it comes to truly being generous, many of us fall short.
The Giving Myths: Giving Then Getting the Life You’ve Always Wanted by Stephen B. McSwain is a great book for our materialistic age. It gives many suggestions on how to live a generous life. In Mcswain’s words, “This book is about living to give and giving to live.”
Dr. McSwain was a senior minister for twenty years before joining and becoming the Vice President of Cargill Associates, Inc. In connection with this national fundraising firm, McSwain has provided fundraising consultation to hundreds of churches in the nation. He is also a distinguished public speaker, bringing the message of giving to thousands of people every year.
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