After all, there are so many arguments for why we shouldn’t be. And not just with our “stuff”—our money and material goods. If we freely share our ideas, what if someone else takes credit for them? If we gladly donate our skills and time, what if someone takes advantage of us? And, of course, what if we end up needing the money or items we’re thinking of giving away?

From a personal perspective, the decision to be generous may not feel like an obvious one. Yet Christ Jesus taught, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). But what if we don’t feel that we have freely received—that we’re lacking ideas, skills, time, or money? 

Jesus didn’t preface his instruction with an “if”—“If you have freely received, freely give.” His statement assumes that we have freely received. This was not guesswork on his part. He knew the source of our supply to be God, good. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assured us that if we seek first “the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, . . . all these things shall be added unto you” (see Matthew 6:25–34). The Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, expands on this teaching when she writes, “God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 307).