Beyond the Feast: How Generosity Multiplies Your Harvest

The first Thanksgiving

The year is 1621in America. The air is cold and the land is still unfamiliar. For the colonists, their first year in the new world had been marked by incredible hardships. They were survivors who had endured the trials and struggles of establishing a settlement. Yet, with the autumn harvest complete, they had achieved their first success—a successful corn harvest.

    This was a victory that called for a celebration. So, to express their thanks and honor their Native American allies who helped them in this new land, they planned a great feast. They invited the Native Americans to celebrate with them. The joyous, three-day event was filled with games, signs of affection, and abundant feasting on venison, fowl, and corn.

    It was an act of sharing—a profoundly generous gesture that Governor William Bradford noted in his journal. For him, the abundant harvest was a gift from a loving God who had not only protected them from the dangers of the land but also granted them the freedom to worship freely.

    Bradford realized a crucial spiritual truth that day: Gratitude naturally flows into generosity. When we acknowledge that everything we possess is ultimately a gift from God, we feel a deep desire to give back and share our blessings with others.

    This spirit of abundance and sharing is perfectly captured in the Apostle Paul's instruction to the church in Corinth. He speaks directly to the dynamic relationship between sowing and reaping, provision and giving:

"He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God."

 (2 Corinthians 9:10-11, ESV)

Notice the order of this divine economy: 

    First, God provides for all our needs—both physical (the bread for food) and spiritual (the seed for sowing). Second, He doesn't just give us enough to live on; He gives us extra so we can sow it in the lives of others.

    The principle is clear: what we own, whether it be time, talents, or treasure, doesn't ultimately belong to us; it has been put into our hands by God.  A bible study that had blessed you or an insight that you have learned in scripture is not yours alone.  He trusts us with His resources. No matter if those resources are physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual, God has given those things to us, for us to steward them. When we hold on to everything we have, we are essentially saying, these things are mine and I refuse to allow others to benefit from them.

    The good news is that Paul tells us that as we are generous, God will multiply our seed and increase the harvest of our righteousness. Another words one of the ways God blesses us is by being a blessing to others and as we do God begins to replenish what we have sown. As we share with others truths we have received in God's word, God begins giving us new insights from His word. As you give of your time talents and abilities to those around you, in turn God will continue to bless you and help you in your life as well. Our giving not only produces material blessings but, more importantly, a spiritual harvest. That spiritual harvest is the fruit of our faith, which ultimately produces thanksgiving to God.

    Generosity isn't just about writing a check; it's a spiritual discipline that aligns our hearts with God's. We need to be careful not to make this just a "self-help" issue; it's a God issue. If we want to truly follow Christ, we must learn to give.

1. Acknowledge God's Ownership

    The starting point is recognizing that God has given us all that we have, and He will care for us. Just like the early colonists, we must remember that God is the source of our abundance and our safety. Before you decide where to put your money, time, or energy, pause and declare: "God, this is Yours." Releasing your grip on what you possess is an act of trust, recognizing that He will provide and protect you (Matthew 6:33).

2. Embrace the Gospel of Provision 

    If you live your life always working trying to build your life up, you will never be truly generous because you will always feel the need to keep more for yourself. Generosity does not flow from your abundance, it flows from the heart. True generosity flows from a heart at peace, knowing that God has already given us the most valuable gift: His Son.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, ESV)

    If God loved you enough to sacrifice His Son on the cross so you could be forgiven of your sins and have a relationship with Him, He will surely provide for your earthly needs. When you rest in the finished work of Christ—when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior—you receive the ultimate provision, freeing you to give freely.

3. Prioritize Sowing for a Spiritual Harvest 

    While God promises to multiply the seed for sowing (material blessings), the primary harvest is righteousness. This means being generous with things that build up the Kingdom of God and your own spiritual life. Be generous with your time by serving others and investing in spiritual growth. Be generous with your words by offering encouragement and sharing the hope you have in Christ. Be generous with your resources to support ministries that spread the gospel.

    This spiritual harvest produces thanksgiving and glorifies God. Like Governor Bradford, who shared his harvest and gave thanks to God, let your life be a testament to God's abundance, inspiring others to give thanks as well.