Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—offering weekly stabilization to keep a Christian's life in balance when everything else seems to be coming unglued.

 

As someone who has done a fair amount of fund raising (and friend raising) for Christian colleges in the past, I have grown to love the word "legacy." Typically the word is used to identify a bequest of personal or real property from one person  to another person or institution. But it can refer to almost anything that is handed down from one person or family to another person or family, or to not-for-profit organization. Legacy was also the name of an American dramatic television series which aired in 1998-1999. Legacy is the name of a 2004 album by The Temptations on the Motown label, and it was the original name of a bay-area metal band that later changed their name to Testament. But for the purpose of this week's "Tuesday Morning" piece, I prefer to limit its use to the giving of gifts to charitable organizations.

 

The principle behind creating a positive legacy is generosity. One of my favorite quotes on generosity has been attributed to John Wesley. I refer to it often:

 

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

At all times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can."

 

Another favorite of mine has been attributed to an obscure English author, Albert Pine:

 

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others

and the world remains and is immortal."

 

In today's tight economy, those who give large sums of money to charities may not have immortality in mind, but most want their gift to be tax deductible. That probably never occurred to Wesley and Pine.

 

This week's "TM" epistle has been given a long title: "Creating a Legacy without Giving Away the Store." Continue reading below  whenever you are ready, and then be charitable.

 

Tom Barnard

An Old but Generous Guy

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Creating a Legacy without Giving Away the Store

Tom Barnard

 

n January 21, 1985, President Ronald Reagan presented his Second Inaugural Address to the Nation from the Rotunda of the Capital, Washington, D.C. Reflecting on his first term as president, Reagan said,

 

“When I took this oath four years ago, I did so in a time of economic stress. Voices were raised saying we had to look to our past for greatness and glory. But we, the present-day Americans, are not given to looking backward. In this blessed land, there is always a better tomorrow.”

 

In words made powerful through his ability to communicate his convictions, Reagan said,

 

“My fellow citizens, our Nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is right, and do it with all our might. Let history say of us, ‘These were golden years—when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best.’”

 

Then he came to that point in his speech that still is remembered by people everywhere,

 

“We have come to a turning point, a moment for hard decisions. I have asked the Cabinet and my staff a question, and now I put the same question to all of you; ‘If not us, who? And if not now, when?’”

 

His words rallied a nation. Leaders from both sides of the political aisle temporarily laid aside their philosophical differences and passed legislation that permitted our Nation to rise above an ineffective international community and accomplish some very great things for our country and our world.

 

Several years ago two alumni from a prestigious eastern university stunned higher education experts by making a financial commitment to their alma mater that exceeded $450-million dollars. That’s one million dollars multiplied four-hundred-and-fifty times! From two families. It’s mind-boggling. When Christians read stories like this, they tend to think small. They tend to say, “Well, that works at secular universities, but not here.” Not at our 401C3.

 

Of all institutions, Christian institutions (specifically Christian not-for-profit colleges and universities) should lead the way in terms of creating a culture of generosity. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul compared the Christians in Corinth (a rich, cosmopolitan city) to the Christians in Macedonia (a very poor area in the First Century A.D.). He considered the Macedonians to be champions of generosity. He said of them,

 

“Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.” (1 Corinthians 8:2-3, NLT)

 

And Paul was not writing from a vacuum. The Bible is full of references to godly generosity. Here are a few of those references:

 

• “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten. (Psalm 112:9)
• “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.” (Luke 6:38)
• “Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8) 

Economically, these are some of the “worst of times.” What better a time for Christians everywhere to look to those institutions that are in financial need, and open their hearts, wallets, and pocketbooks! What better a time to see where the need is greatest, and respond to that need. Join me in seeking an answer to where God wants Christians to be more generous than they have ever been in their lifetimes.