Generosity as a Core Attribute for the Christian Businessman
By Marc Ottestad
As I leave behind our CBMC month on Prioritization, I step into a new month ready to grow my spiritual muscle of Generosity. I want to be a generous person—so what gets in the way? Fear? A Scarcity Mindset? A Lack of Trust?
I follow the most generous One—Jesus. Where might He want to grow me in generosity? Let’s look together at generosity and prepare to invest this month in growing that attribute and becoming more like Jesus.
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." — 1 Timothy 6:18
In the marketplace, generosity is often reduced to philanthropy or charity. But for the Christian businessman, generosity is not a transaction—it's a transformation. It's a way of being that permeates how we steward our time, talents, treasure, transparency, and grace. It’s a posture that reflects the heart of God and points others to Him.
Foundation #1: Generosity of Time Is a Matter of Prioritization
"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." — Ephesians 5:15-16
When I think about time, I think about my calendar and effectiveness. Time is always a tension point. We face the pull between the work we are called to do, and the people God calls us to love—many of whom work with us and often fall short of our expectations. That gap stirs frustration and reveals whether our time is governed by productivity or by patience and humility.
I recently went through a time management training course called Time Boss and became aware that I am a slave to short-term thinking rather than long-term thinking and my eternal thinking is lightly sprinkled throughout rather than the core.
Time is sacred and limited.
A current prayer for me is, “Lord, create in me an urgency to focus on the eternal.”
How often do we race past long term and eternal opportunities? Eternal time is centered in people and often I miss the very people God places in my path. Our colleagues, clients, and family are not interruptions—they are divine appointments. Generosity with time means recalibrating our attention. And in 2025, attention is a powerful and deceitful nemesis.
The invitation in the Time Boss experience helped sharpen my awareness and offered disciplines that helped me align my time with my values. I must discipline myself to release my addiction to activity and hold time for the unknown by being ever watchful for people while listening to the Holy Spirit.
What is the best use of your time?
How much of your time is for “the best”?
Are you gracious with it or miserly?
Sometimes your best use of time is hitting a target. Other times, it’s slowing down to listen, stepping into someone’s mess, mentoring the struggling, or creating boundaries for worship and rest. Our time is a gift, and giving it generously reveals who and what we truly value.
Your calendar will reveal your time relationship and display your generosity. Take a good look. Develop a new vision for a spirit of generosity with the time you have been given.
Foundation #2: Generosity with Talents Requires Self-Awareness and Faith
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." — 1 Peter 4:10
Do you know your gifts? Are you generous with them?
Tools like Myers-Briggs, DISC, StrengthsFinder, and the Enneagram offer helpful insight to know how you were uniquely and joyfully made.
Knowing is just the start.
The real question is what were you made for?
The answer is to glorify God.
The challenge is that we often skip pass the God glorification part and associate talent primarily with work. "This is what I was made to do." But what would it look like if your talents we not about your doing but rather your being. Consider that your talents are a doorway into relationships. "Your people" often have similar talents. You can help them grow and prosper and they can help you grow as well. It is in this growth process that we love others and love God. Sounds like two very important declarations that we were all given from Our Heavenly Father.
Again, remember our gifts are more than strategy for sales or just a business tool—they’re for building up the Body, serving the world, and glorifying God.
Are you using your gifts only where it benefits your bottom line?
What about in service to the Lord: at church, in community, with family?
Are you willing to share your talents in areas of need rather than your success?
Generosity with our talent stretches us.
Thinking about being generous with my talents and encouraging you as well feels good. I know God made me a hardworking, diligent, resourceful, faithful connector and I commit to being more intentional about sharing those talents with others. Both inside my work world and outside.
It is good to thank God for the talents given and to offer them to Jesus. He was generous in the giving of our talents will we be generous in the sharing of our talents?
Foundation #3: Generosity with Treasure Reflects Our Priorities
"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing..." — Proverbs 3:9-10
Treasure is not just money, it reveals what we value. Money often mirrors the heart. A generous businessman doesn’t merely tithe; he treats every financial decision as an act of worship.
The Bible speaks more about money than any other topic. Why? Because money gets our attention—and often our allegiance.
Will I have enough?
Can I get more?
Money brings choice, and choice reveals trust. Holding wealth with open hands is difficult. “I earned this,” we think. But God says: “You’re a steward, not an owner.”
How can we release the hold that money, our treasure, has on us?
We first need awareness that money does have a hold of us. Our society and culture calls us to conform that money is identity. God wants to transform that thinking. The attribute of generosity with money and releasing our treasure as a display of faithfulness is key. I loved the invitation by Jesus to allow Him to help us release, relax and rejoice. He is trustworthy and will care for us as declared in Matthew 6:31 Do not worry then saying, “What are we going to eat?” or “What are we going to drink?” …… your heavenly Father knows that you need all these thing…
Remember that thinking money brings certainty is a lie from the pit of hell.
Again, awareness is the key and a very important prayer is:
"Jesus show me where I allow my trust to rest in money rather than you. Forgive me and mold me.”
Questions help. Start with these on the personal questions:
· Do I think about money more than I should, Lord?
· Do I have a scarcity mentality Lord when you are a God of abundance?
· Where would you have me exercise some financial generosity this day, Jesus?
In your work roles ask these:
· Do we pay fairly?
· Do we reinvest in people, not just profits?
· Do our budgets reflect our beliefs?
A huge challenge engulfing the topic of money is transparency. We talk about sex, family, politics yet rarely share our thoughts about money and where it goes or about our giving and the challenges around when is enough, enough.
A good starting point is to talk with God about money and then maybe include a friend and even your spouse.
When we hold our earthly treasure loosely, we can live fully. Jesus promises a greater treasure than we can even imagine when we join Him and seek His Kingdom treasures.
More than you can imagine is possible when you are generous with your treasures. Are you ready for practicing Generosity with your money?
Foundation #4: Generosity Through Transparency Builds Deep Community
"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2
Thinking about generosity leads me to reflect on sharing life experiences as acts of generosity. There is something powerful—yes supernatural—about sharing our experiences. Something changes in us and in those we share with. Walls come down. Fears dissolve. Hope rises. And when we center Jesus in that process, we begin to see more of the Creator and accept His creations—me and you.
We all long to be known and to know others. Yet we hide, often in fear.
Will I be accepted?
Will I be judged?
Generous transparency says: “Here’s who I really am.” It creates the opportunity for acceptance that not only feels good but is a grand act of love.
Thinking about TRANSPERENCY as a foundation for generosity was a new thought for me and leads me to think about the opposite of transparency and the risks. Keeping things hidden allows resentments to build and distortions to take hold. One of my mentors, Bill Thrall, says: “What you keep hidden will define you.” That’s a truth I return to often and intentionally push against hiding by seeking to share my life and offer space for others to share their lives as well. I encourage you to engage in this spiritual act of sharing deeply.
When light is shone on our thinking the negative power is reduced.
Are you generous with your story or are you withholding your real self out of fear or pride?
Will you share the messy middle—not just the polished outside?
Will you show generosity by allowing others to reveal and share their journey?
Transparency builds trust, fuels healing, and draws us closer to each other and to God.
Transparency as a foundation for generosity is good. Let’s be generous in transparency together and thrive.
Foundation #5: Generosity with Grace Mirrors the Heart of Christ
The final pillar we will examine is God’s amazing gift of grace and how we might emulate the dynamic of giving grace to others just as we have received grace from our Father.
Can you imagine if we as believers were known as grace givers. Christians would be seen in a different light.
"From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." — John 1:16
Grace may be the hardest form of generosity to put into practice. Why? Because it costs us. Grace means giving what’s underserved and that rarely feels fair.
But grace reflects Jesus. He didn’t wait for us to earn love. He gave it. Freely.
Grace means offering a “do-overs.” It’s giving a second chance to your spouse, your employee, your friend. It’s choosing compassion over criticism. It’s believing the best when you could assume the worst.
Forgiveness is the currency of grace. Generosity with grace makes space for failure and room for redemption. God is in the redemption business and invites us to participate with joy.
In the workplace, this might mean sticking with someone who isn’t quite “there” yet. In your family, it might mean giving more time, listening and presence.
Grace is not efficient—but it is eternally effective and relationally powerful.
When you reflect on grace in your life, what moments come to mind? For me, it’s being amazed that I was offered kindness I didn’t deserve. It makes you stop and be thankful.
What if you became known as a grace-giver? What if we, as followers of Jesus, were overflowing with grace? I believe that would look like heaven on earth.
Let’s practice generosity by dispensing grace and as we do, it will get easier and easier and life will get lighter and lighter.
The Tension and the Invitation
Generosity doesn’t come naturally. Time feels scarce. Talents feel stretched. Treasure feels scarce. Transparency feels risky. Grace feels costly.
But that tension is also an invitation—to trust:
Trust that when you pause, God will speak.
Trust that when you give, He will multiply.
Trust that when you release, you’ll receive greater joy.
Trust that when you extend grace, you’ll reflect Christ.
In 2025, our challenge as Christian businessmen is not just to be generous—but to be radically generous.
Ask God to soften your heart. Ask Him to help you see as He sees. And then ask:
Am I generous with my time—toward my family, my team, my God? Help my Jesus.
Am I generous with my talents—where they’re needed, not just where they’re rewarded? Help my Lord.
Am I generous with my treasure—trusting God over money? Holy Spirit come.
Am I generous with my transparency—willing to share my story for healing? Father show me the way.
Am I generous with grace—offering what I’ve freely received? Lord may my life be evidence of Your grace.
In the end, generosity is not about doing more. It’s about becoming more—more like Jesus, who gave everything. This month will be a great month of growing in the attribute of generosity. You are invited. Each week we will take one of the pillars and go deeper together.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." — 2 Corinthians 8:9
Let us lead with that kind of generosity.
Marc Ottestad is the Area Director for CBMC in Orange County, CA, where he helps Christian business leaders grow in faith and leadership. He facilitates life-on-life discipleship, encourages marketplace evangelism, and equips men to live generously in every area of life.