Can You Give Too Much?

Deuteronomy 15-16 tells us to give as we are able and to not be grieved when we do give. The Bible makes it clear that our reward will be in heaven, not here on Earth. Money and material goods have no place in heaven, and God has no interest in our wealth. All of these teachings point to the conclusion that we should give all that we can to those around us. But is it possible to give too much?

Getting Taken Advantage Of

The saying “nice guys finish last” comes from the belief that those who are overly generous will get taken advantage of. Should this make us less inclined to give? The answer is yes and no. We should take this phrase at face value, and heed it within reason. In God’s eyes, nice guys finish first. We should all strive to be better people, more generous with our giving and less worried about money. However, God doesn’t want us to waste our resources.

Giving Immaterial Things

If your wallet seems to be the only reason friends and family come to you for help, perhaps you should solve the problem at the source instead of with money. We should indeed be generous, but only when someone else will truly benefit from our generosity. In many situations, money isn’t the best thing you can give someone. Often, it’s love, advice, or even distance. Using money to solve larger issues will only put you in the hole and further sink the one you meant to help.