Generous Living: Finding Contentment Through Giving [Paperback]

Ron Blue (Author), Jodie Berndt (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 1997

What do generous people know that makes them give gladly and liberally of their time, talents, wealth, and other resources? Why should you become such a person---and how can you? Financial advisor Ron Blue explains why an openhanded spirit is the key to freedom, contentment, and joy. In Generous Living, he shows what happens when you become a giver, and helps you start right where you are cultivating a generous lifestyle. Pointing you beyond guilt-induced giving, Blue shows you the true, Bible-based way to give effectively, joyfully, and wisely. You'll gain important insights into making a will, setting up a trust and foundation, and teaching your children to give. But better still, you'll find out - why to give - how you can give - where it is best to give - when and how often to give

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Ron Blue is founder and president of Ronald Blue & Co., which offers financial and investment counsel, estate and retirement planning, tax and business services, and assistance with charitable giving strategies, wealth transference, and related areas. He is the author of nine books, including Generous Living, Master Your Money, Raising Money Smart Kids, and Taming the Money Monster. Judy Blue has spent 22 years teaching and discipling women. Jodie Berndt is a freelance writer and the author of Celebration of Miracles. She lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her husband and their four children

From the Back Cover

What do generous people know that makes them give gladly and liberally of their time, talents, wealth, and other resources? Why should you become such a person—and how can you? Financial advisor Ron Blue explains why an openhanded spirit is the key to freedom, contentment, and joy. In Generous Living, he shows what happens when you become a giver, and helps you start right where you are cultivating a generous lifestyle. Pointing you beyond guilt-induced giving, Blue shows you the true, Bible-based way to give effectively, joyfully, and wisely. You’ll gain important insights into making a will, setting up a trust and foundation, and teaching your children to give. But better still, you’ll find out - why to give - how you can give - where it is best to give - when and how often to give

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (September 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310210909
• ISBN-13: 978-0310210900
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Following his graduation from Indiana University with a master of business administration degree, Ron joined the management group of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. and worked with the firm in New York City, Dallas, and San Francisco. In 1970, Ron founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm that has grown to be one of the 50 largest CPA firms in the United States. Leaving the CPA firm in 1977, Ron became administrative vice president of Leadership Dynamics International. While with Leadership Dynamics, he was involved in developing and teaching biblically based leadership and management seminars in the United States and Africa. Convinced that Christians would better handle their personal finances if they were counseled objectively with the highest technical expertise and from a biblical perspective, he founded a financial planning firm in 1979. That firm grew to manage over $2 billion in assets for its more than 5,000 clients nationwide with a staff of over 175 people in 14 regional offices. Ron retired from the financial planning firm in 2003 in order to lead Kingdom Advisors, an international effort to equip and motivate Christian financial professionals to serve the body of Christ by implementing biblical wisdom in their lives and practices, resulting in financial freedom and increased giving by thousands of dollars by thousands of Christians around the world. Ron is the author of 17 books on personal finance from a biblical perspective, including the best seller "Master Your Money," first published in 1986 and now in its thirtieth printing; "Your Money After the Big 5-0," coauthored with Larry Burkett; "Splitting Heirs"; and his most recent books, "Faith-Based Family Finances" and "Surviving Financial Meltdown." He is featured in the popular six-part Master Your Money video series, produced by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries and used in over 5,500 churches across the country. Ron has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including "Focus on the Family," "Family News in Focus," "The 700 Club," "Prime Time America," and Moody Radio's "Open Line." He is a regular contributor to several national Christian magazines. Ron currently serves on the board of directors of Campus Crusade for Christ, Crown Financial Ministries, and the National Christian Foundation. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Maclellan Foundation and the Sandra and William B. Johnson Foundation, Inc. He formerly served on the board of directors of Family Research Council, Promise Keepers, Insight for Living, the Medical Institute, and Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. In 2002, Ron received the Honors Award from the Georgia chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In 2003, he received the honored designation of Distinguished Entrepreneur from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, his alma mater. Ron and his wife, Judy, live in Atlanta. They have five children and eleven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximize your effectiveness and joy in giving, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Generous Living: Finding Contentment Through Giving (Paperback)

This book is for those who want to give more and maximize their effectiveness and joy in giving. Blue points out in his book that we have endless opportunities to give of our resources to further God's work here on earth and that we need to give strategically to make our giving as effective as possible. He discusses both the why and the how of giving. He states that we need to have a long term giving plan as part of our overall financial plan. This book showed me how my wife and I could give much more now and in the future with a few minor adjustments in our family budget. Blue challenged me to set a cap on lifestyle at a reasonable level and use the excess income to save, invest and give away. It helped me work through all the practical questions of how much to spend, how much to save and invest and how much to give. Ron Blue states that financial freedom is not found in building up net worth but rather is, "the willingness to be generous with what you have."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great guide for giving and tithing, June 29, 1998

By 

Jamey Key (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Generous Living: Finding Contentment Through Giving (Paperback)

(Initial review June 29, 1998)

I found Mr. Blue's advice to be very helpful in making a plan for giving that would be pleasing to God. Lots of practical advice. If you are ready to get serious about your giving and tithing, you must read this book.

The piece of advice that stands out to me, is that to be a good giver, you must learn how to be a gracious receiver. That has changed the way I think about receiving, AND giving.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Perspective On the Generous Mindset, January 16, 2009

By 

Andrew R. Allen (Lilburn, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Generous Living: Finding Contentment Through Giving (Paperback)

In Generous Living, Ron Blue gives great Biblically based fundamentals on managing your money and resources. The overarching theme is being generous with your resources, which includes more than just your material finances. This could also incorporate talents and abilities as well as time. By gaining the perspective that everything is God's and we are His stewards of our possessions we bring into better focus how we manage it and the importance of seeking His counsel when making decisions.

This also helps to change the "me/mine" mentality and loosen one's grasp rather than holding on greedily to the assets under management. When we realize that God can easily give or take away and that we are simply His managers, we no longer worry about holding tightly to "our stuff." This perspective makes it much easier to lend someone your car or volunteer your time or even give your money. Since God is the ultimate CEO calling the shots, if He sees fit to use "our" money, time, or resources, we should give with a glad and willing heart.

In addition to providing insight into maintaining a generous mindset, Mr. Blue also provides excellent practical advice on topics such as defining financial and giving goals and working towards them, creating a budget, strategic giving (meaning research organizations and individuals you give to and expect accountability to their stated mission and how they use the resources rather than giving blindly), estate planning and how to transfer wealth, whether large or small, to heirs and charitable organizations.

While the book was written 11+ years ago and some of the commentary could benefit from updating based on world and market events that have occurred since that time, it contains timeless principles which will apply long into the future.