Author Unknown
Generosity between spouses is a key element to a happy marriage, according to a study by the National Marriage Project.
In essence, Generosity is the amount of giving that goes on within a relationship, which can mean anything from making your spouse a cup of coffee, to ordering flowers or providing a backrub.
In the study, couples who reported a high amount of Generosity in their relationship were five times more likely to say their marriage was "very happy," compared with those who reported a low amount of generosity. All couples in the report had children.
50% of women and 46% of men who reported above-average generosity in their relationships described their marriages as "very happy."
On the other hand, just 14% of each sex with below-average generosity in their relationship described their marriage as "very happy."
One of the researchers, W. Bradford Wilcox said,
“Generosity works best if you give your spouse something he or she likes, signaling to your spouse that you know them, and are trying to do things for them that are consistent with your understanding of them.”
Generosity always involves sacrifice - giving up something important to me whether it is my time or resources. It is not giving him something that I don’t want anymore. It is not giving her something that didn’t cost me something - time, money, or thoughtfulness.
Generosity is paying attention to the real needs and desires of my spouse. I don’t do something for him that is important to me, but I do something that is important to him. I have to study my mate to know what is meaningful to him.
Generosity means I put my spouse’s needs and desires before my own needs and desires.
Generosity shows through the manner in which the time or resources are given, not the quantity. A truly generous act or gift requires no response - the only motive is the expression of love from the giver, not expecting anything in return.
Want to take your marriage to a higher plane of happiness?
Practice Generosity daily.
WITH OTHERS
Generosity is impossible apart
from our love of God and of His people.
But with such love,
generosity not only is possible but inevitable.
John MacArthur
Generosity by God’s people goes much beyond giving our money. It is demonstrated by giving ourselves to others, whether it is someone we know or someone in need.
Generous actions may be helping someone that is stranded on the highway or helping a mom and her stroller/kids/diaper bag get out of the store and into their car. We may never see them again.
Generosity is shown in more subtle ways as well - sitting and listening to someone’s story with our full attention, whether we find it interesting or not. We do it as an act of love.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
