Open Hands, Full Hearts: The Kingdom Impact of Generous Living
By Karim Maguid
Introduction: Open Hands, Full Hearts
Generosity gets a bad rap.
Not because it’s wrong, but because it’s been twisted, abused, and misunderstood. The moment someone says “giving,” most people flinch and check their wallet. For a lot of folks, the word has been hijacked by slick suits and televangelist guilt trips.
But that is not what this book is about.
This is not a tithing workshop.
This is not a church fundraiser.
And this is definitely not about buying your blessings.
This is about the heart behind the hand.
Because God is not looking for bigger donations. He’s looking for open hearts.
“Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:7 NASB)
God loves the kind of giving that comes from joy. Not pressure. Not manipulation. Not guilt. Joy.
You were made to give. Not just money, but time. Energy. Compassion. Meals. Prayers. Encouragement. And yes, sometimes finances too. When your hands are open, your life is available. And when your life is available, God does things you never imagined.
But the enemy wants you closed off.
Closed fists. Closed heart. Closed life.
Because if the enemy can stop your generosity, he can stop your impact.
Let’s be real. We’ve all been through seasons where we feel stretched. There’s more month than money. More needs than time. And more excuses than obedience. It’s easy to say, “I’ll give when I have more.” But that mindset misses the entire point.
“One who is generous will be blessed, because he gives some of his food to the poor.”
(Proverbs 22:9 NASB)
Notice it doesn’t say, “One who is rich will be blessed.”
It says, “One who is generous.”
That means generosity is not about how much you have. It’s about what you do with what you’ve been given.
This book is an invitation.
An invitation to live with open hands.
Because full hands can’t receive anything new.
But open ones can.
The most generous people I know are not the wealthiest. They’re the most surrendered. They’ve figured out that when you give freely, you never run out. God keeps filling what you keep pouring.
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”
(Luke 6:38 NASB)
That verse is not about getting rich.
It’s about trusting God’s economy.
You give, He fills. You pour, He provides. You bless, He multiplies.
You’re not just giving away stuff. You’re building the Kingdom.
In the chapters ahead, we’re going to dig into what that looks like. Real stories. Real struggles. Real truth. We’ll talk about the joy of generosity, the pain of selfishness, the fear of lack, and the miracle of trust.
You’ll learn how to live generously without burning out.
How to give without regret.
And how to walk through life with open hands and a full heart.
Because when your hands are open, God puts miracles in them.
And when your heart is full, you’ll never run dry.
Let’s get into it.
Chapter One: The Heart Behind the Gift
If God has your heart, He’ll have your hands.
But if He doesn’t have your heart, your hands will always hold back.
Let’s clear something up right away.
God does not need your money.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
He created the universe with His voice.
He is not fundraising. He is refining.
What God wants is your trust.
And trust shows up in how you give.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:21 NASB)
That verse is not about bank statements.
It’s about loyalty.
Where your treasure goes, your heart follows.
So if your giving feels hard, it’s not a money issue.
It’s a heart issue.
God isn’t after percentages.
He’s after surrender.
He wants the kind of generosity that makes heaven smile.
The kind that says, “I trust You, even when it’s tight.”
The kind that believes, “You’ll provide, even when it doesn’t make sense.”
The kind that lets go, even when fear tells you to grip tighter.
“Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
(Proverbs 3:9-10 NASB)
God doesn’t bless leftovers. He blesses firsts.
When you give Him your first, you’re saying,
“I believe You’re the one who gave it to me in the first place.”
That is why tithing was never meant to be a bill.
It was meant to be a statement of trust.
A declaration that He is your source, not your job.
Not your hustle. Not your savings account.
Some people give out of obligation.
Some give out of pride.
Some give to get something back.
But true generosity? It gives out of love.
The poor widow in Luke 21 gave two coins. That’s all she had.
And Jesus said she gave more than everyone else.
Not because of the amount.
But because of the heart.
“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.”
(Luke 21:3-4 NASB)
You can give without loving.
But you can’t love without giving.
That’s why the most generous act in all of history was not money.
It was blood.
Jesus didn’t tithe His life. He gave all of it.
He didn’t look at the cross and say,
“Well, maybe next paycheck.”
He gave everything so we could receive everything.
So when we give, we reflect Him.
When we give, we fight selfishness.
When we give, we say with our actions,
“This world is not my home. My treasure is in heaven.”
And here’s the beautiful part.
Generosity is contagious.
You start living with open hands, and others notice.
You start giving with joy, and others catch the fire.
You start sowing into people’s lives, and suddenly your life feels full.
It is not always easy.
Sometimes giving hurts.
Sometimes obedience costs.
Sometimes the math doesn’t make sense.
But faith doesn’t live by math.
Faith lives by trust.
“Now this I say, the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.”
(2 Corinthians 9:6 NASB)
God is not trying to take from you.
He is trying to grow you.
And the more your heart trusts Him, the more your hands will release.
So before we talk about giving with your money, your time, or your talents, we have to talk about giving with your heart.
Because every generous life begins there.
Open hands start with open hearts.
Chapter Two: Scarcity vs. Supply
If you think you never have enough, you’ll never give enough.
That’s the lie of scarcity.
Scarcity whispers,
“Hold on tighter. What if you run out?”
“What if the bills come?”
“What if you give, and God forgets to come through?”
It sounds reasonable.
But it is rooted in fear, not faith.
Scarcity is not about your income.
It’s about your outlook.
You can make six figures and still feel broke.
You can grow up with nothing and learn to trust God for everything.
This is not about how much is in your account.
It’s about how much space God has in your mindset.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NASB)
God is not operating from your bank balance.
He’s operating from His riches.
And He has never gone bankrupt.
The problem is, we often live like we’re on our own.
We work like it’s all up to us.
We give like we’re doing God a favor.
And we stress like He’s never met our needs before.
But let’s look back. Has He ever failed you?
Has there ever been a moment where He truly abandoned you?
You may have been stretched.
You may have had to tighten your belt.
But did He provide? Every single time.
When we believe God is the supplier, we stop gripping so tightly.
Because we know—if it came from Him once, it can come again.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
(Romans 8:32 NASB)
God gave you Jesus.
You think He’s going to hold back groceries? Rent? Gas money?
That’s not who He is.
Scarcity says, “I need to protect what I have.”
Supply says, “I can trust the One who gives.”
It’s not just about resources. It’s about relationship.
The more you know Him, the more you trust Him.
The more you trust Him, the more freely you give.
And the more you give, the more you realize—you’re not running out. You’re running over.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
(Psalm 23:5 NASB)
Overflow doesn’t come from hoarding.
It comes from trusting.
Some of us are trying to manage our way into abundance.
Cut here. Save there. Stress a little more.
But what if the breakthrough wasn’t in what you saved—
but in what you gave?
That does not mean we throw wisdom out the window.
But kingdom math looks different.
Kingdom math says the more you pour, the more God fills.
The more you give, the more He multiplies.
Ask the widow in 1 Kings 17.
She had a handful of flour and a little oil.
Elijah asked her to use it to make bread for him first.
That sounds crazy. But it was obedience.
And because she trusted God, her jar never ran out.
“The bowl of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.”
(1 Kings 17:16 NASB)
Scarcity would have said, “I need to keep this for my son and me.”
Supply said, “God asked for it. He will take care of us.”
What’s in your hand right now?
It may not seem like much.
But in the hands of God, it’s more than enough.
You don’t need a raise to be generous.
You need a revelation.
When you realize God is your source, you stop living tightfisted.
You stop living afraid.
You stop living like every dollar is your last.
And instead, you live open.
Expectant.
Generous.
Free.
Because if He gave you Jesus,
if He fed the widow,
if He filled the jars,
He will not stop now.
You are not a slave to scarcity.
You are a child of supply.
Chapter Three: The Gift of Time
Most people assume generosity means money.
But in God’s economy, time is just as valuable.
Actually, for some of us, time is the one thing we’re even less willing to give.
Money? Maybe.
But a Saturday afternoon? A few hours after work? A slow conversation with someone who needs it? That costs something deeper.
Time is one of the purest forms of generosity because you never get it back.
“Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
(Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB)
Paul didn’t say “make the most of your paycheck.”
He said “make the most of your time.”
Why? Because the days are evil.
Distractions are everywhere.
The urgent screams louder than the important.
And before you know it, months go by. Then years.
One of the biggest lies the enemy tells generous people is this:
“You’re too busy right now. You’ll serve when life slows down.”
Spoiler alert—it doesn’t.
There is never a “perfect” time to be generous with your time.
There will always be laundry.
There will always be bills.
There will always be a reason to stay home, stay tired, and stay comfortable.
But comfort never changed lives.
Love did.
And love takes time.
“Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
(1 John 3:18 NASB)
Real love shows up.
It listens longer.
It helps carry boxes.
It visits the hospital.
It watches the kids.
It serves behind the scenes when nobody else wants to.
And here’s the beauty of it—when you give your time, God redeems it.
The world will tell you you’re wasting time by slowing down for others.
God tells you you’re investing in eternity.
When you sit with the lonely, that’s generosity.
When you show up early to set up chairs, that’s generosity.
When you choose not to rush through a conversation because someone clearly needs to talk, that’s generosity.
You might not feel like it matters.
But heaven sees it all.
“And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
(Matthew 10:42 NASB)
A cup of water. That’s it.
You don’t have to preach a sermon.
You don’t need a title.
You just need an open heart and a willing spirit.
Time is one of the most kingdom-impacting resources you have.
And it is also one of the easiest to waste.
Netflix will be there tomorrow.
So will your notifications.
So will your to-do list.
But that person God nudged you to call?
That neighbor He put on your heart?
That ministry He told you to help with?
Those are eternal moments.
Moments that won’t come again.
Don’t miss them.
“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”
(Colossians 4:5 NASB)
Opportunity.
That’s what God gives when you show up with open hands and a full heart.
You may never know the full impact of one hour given in love.
But God does.
And He uses it.
You do not need more time.
You need to trust the One who holds time.
When He calls, answer.
When He nudges, respond.
When He presents a moment to serve, do it.
Because every second spent for His glory never goes to waste.
Chapter Four: Speak Life
Some of the most powerful gifts you can give don’t cost a dime.
Encouragement. Prayer. Honor. Truth. A timely word.
Words shape the atmosphere.
They either lift or crush.
Heal or wound.
Bring hope or leave scars.
And if we’re honest, it’s a lot easier to be generous with compliments on social media than it is to speak life over someone face-to-face.
But that’s what the Kingdom calls us to.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
(Proverbs 18:21 NASB)
You don’t need to be a preacher to preach.
Your everyday words preach louder than you think.
Think about it.
A simple “I’m proud of you” could change the course of someone’s day.
A “God’s not done with you yet” could interrupt suicidal thoughts.
A sincere “You’re not alone” might be the difference between someone staying in church or walking away.
You don’t have to be eloquent.
You just have to be willing.
We live in a world full of negativity, sarcasm, and tearing people down.
So when someone shows up with truth, love, and encouragement?
That stands out.
That speaks heaven into chaos.
“A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.”
(Proverbs 15:4 NASB)
You’ve probably been crushed by someone’s careless words before.
But do you remember the last time someone really spoke life into you?
Maybe it was a parent.
A pastor.
A random stranger.
Someone who looked you in the eye and reminded you who you are in Christ.
You remember it because it mattered.
Because that’s what words do. They build something—or they tear something down.
What if we saw our words as seed?
What if we woke up asking, “Who can I build today?”
Not with flattery. Not with fake kindness. But with real, intentional encouragement.
Generosity is giving what you’ve got.
And if all you’ve got in the moment is a word—give it.
You don’t know how long that person’s been holding on.
You don’t know what kind of battle they’re fighting.
But your words might be the reminder they’ve been praying for.
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11 NASB)
There is someone in your life right now who needs to hear that they matter.
Someone who needs to know that God still sees them.
Someone who needs to be reminded of the calling they’ve almost given up on.
And you? You’ve got the words.
You just need the courage to speak them.
Open your mouth.
Encourage someone today.
Pray for someone out loud.
Tell them what God has put on your heart.
Let your words be healing.
Let them be honest.
Let them point people to Jesus.
Because in a world full of noise,
your voice could be the one that echoes heaven.
your walk with God?
Chapter Five: The Open Door Life
You don’t need a big house to live generously.
You just need an open door and a willing heart.
Hospitality isn’t about Pinterest-perfect meals, curated charcuterie boards, or spotless living rooms.
It’s not about impressing people.
It’s about including them.
God’s idea of generosity includes your table.
And your couch.
And your willingness to make space.
“Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”
(1 Peter 4:9 NASB)
That verse is simple, but it hits hard.
Without complaint.
Not just when it’s convenient.
Not just when the kitchen’s clean and you finally caught up on laundry.
Real hospitality happens even when things feel messy.
Because the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is connection.
Jesus didn’t have a home of His own, yet He constantly invited people into fellowship.
He dined with sinners.
He welcomed the broken.
He ate with outcasts.
And He used those meals to teach, heal, and transform.
Food was just the setup.
Love was the real feast.
You might not think of your kitchen table as holy ground—but it is.
Because when someone sits across from you and feels seen, known, and welcomed, that’s ministry.
“Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
(Hebrews 13:2 NASB)
You never know who’s sitting at your table.
You never know what kind of loneliness they’re carrying.
You never know what kind of prayer they whispered before you opened your door.
Hospitality isn’t about what you have.
It’s about who you’re willing to share it with.
God’s people are called to be the most welcoming people on earth.
Not because we’re nice.
But because we know what it’s like to be welcomed into the family of God when we didn’t deserve it.
We were the outsider.
We were the broken one.
We were the ones carrying shame and hunger and fear.
And Jesus opened the door.
So now we open ours.
Invite that single mom to dinner.
Offer your guest room to that friend who’s in between places.
Host a Bible study, even if all you’ve got is chips and folding chairs.
Make space for people to feel safe.
Make space for people to encounter Jesus.
Hospitality doesn’t always look like a meal.
Sometimes it’s a ride to church.
Sometimes it’s babysitting for free.
Sometimes it’s sitting outside and listening instead of scrolling.
And yeah—it’ll cost you something.
Time. Privacy. Energy. A little bit of peace and quiet.
But the return is worth it.
Because eternity is shaped by ordinary moments of generosity.
“Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”
(Romans 12:13 NASB)
You don’t have to be rich to be hospitable.
You just need to be available.
An open home.
An open seat.
An open invitation.
That’s what the world is desperate for.
And the Church should be the place where nobody feels like a burden.
Nobody feels out of place.
Nobody feels like they don’t belong.
The gospel is not just preached from pulpits.
It’s lived out at dinner tables.
So live an open door life.
God will use it more than you know.
Chapter Six: Giving When It Hurts
It’s easy to be generous when everything’s going great.
When the bills are paid, the pantry is full, and life feels stable.
But what about when you’re the one in need?
What about when you’re hurting?
When you’re stretched thin, worn out, or just barely hanging on?
That’s where real generosity shows up.
Not in comfort—but in sacrifice.
“They gave voluntarily, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.”
(2 Corinthians 8:3-4 NASB)
Paul was talking about the Macedonian believers.
These people were poor.
Like, “we don’t know what we’re eating tomorrow” poor.
And yet they gave. Eagerly. Joyfully.
They didn’t say, “Maybe later.”
They begged for the chance to give.
That kind of generosity makes heaven stop and take notice.
Because it’s not about the amount.
It’s about the heart.
“Now Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury.”
(Mark 12:41 NASB)
He wasn’t watching what they gave.
He was watching how they gave.
He saw the widow drop in two small copper coins. That’s all she had.
To most people, it looked worthless.
But to Jesus, it was everything.
Because she gave from her lack, not her leftovers.
“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury.”
(Mark 12:43 NASB)
When you give while you’re hurting, it means something.
When you give through tears, God sees.
When you serve others even while your own soul feels empty, He fills.
It’s in the giving that healing often begins.
Pain doesn’t cancel generosity.
Sometimes, it fuels it.
People who have been through the fire know how to comfort others in the flames.
People who have lost know how to give what really matters.
It might be a prayer you barely had the strength to pray.
A phone call you made while grieving your own loss.
A meal you cooked with a broken heart.
A ride you offered even when you felt like hiding.
And God sees every single act.
“He who sows in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.”
(Psalm 126:5 NASB)
There is a kind of giving that only comes from the valley.
And it is powerful.
You don’t have to wait to feel better to be generous.
You don’t have to wait for life to be perfect.
You don’t need to be completely healed or fully whole.
Sometimes the greatest blessings come through the breaking.
Because in that brokenness, your giving becomes raw.
Real. Honest.
And those are the kinds of gifts that touch the heart of God.
If you’re in a tough season right now, don’t disqualify yourself.
You still have something to offer.
And what you offer now may mean more than anything you could give from abundance.
Your pain does not pause your purpose.
Your struggle does not stop your calling.
Give anyway.
Pray anyway.
Love anyway.
Because generous living is not about waiting for things to get easier.
It’s about trusting that God can still use you—especially when it’s hard.
Chapter Seven: Breaking the Spirit of Greed
Let’s call it what it is.
Greed is sneaky.
It hides behind “being responsible” or “just trying to get ahead.”
It dresses itself up as ambition.
It justifies itself with phrases like,
“I’m just being wise”
or
“I need to make sure my family is secure.”
But at the root, greed is fear in disguise.
Fear that God won’t provide.
Fear that there won’t be enough.
Fear that if you don’t hold on tight, you’ll lose it all.
Here’s the truth: greed is not about wealth.
It’s about worship.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
(Matthew 6:24 NASB)
That’s Jesus talking. Not your accountant.
You cannot serve both.
One will rule you, and one will free you.
Greed is a master that never stops demanding.
It always needs more.
More money.
More stuff.
More status.
More followers.
And even when it gets more, it’s still not enough.
You could have ten times what you have now and still feel broke.
Because greed doesn’t feed you—it empties you.
But generosity?
That’s how you break its grip.
Every time you give, you remind your heart,
“God is my source.”
“Money is not my god.”
“I have what I need.”
“I trust Him to provide.”
“The generous person will be prosperous, and one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.”
(Proverbs 11:25 NASB)
Greed says, “If I give, I’ll have less.”
God says, “When you give, I’ll give more.”
And no, this isn’t some prosperity formula.
This is a heart principle.
Greed says, “I earned this. It’s mine.”
Generosity says, “It all came from God in the first place.”
You want to protect your family?
Be generous.
You want to build something that lasts?
Be generous.
You want to live free from the pressure of always chasing more?
Be generous.
Greed chokes the soul.
It isolates. It hardens.
But generosity opens the floodgates of heaven.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”
(Malachi 3:10 NASB)
That is the only time in all of scripture where God says,
“Test Me.”
Not in prayer.
Not in worship.
In giving.
Because generosity reveals where your trust really lives.
Are you ruled by what you have?
Or are you free to give because you know who holds your future?
You do not have to live chained to greed.
You don’t have to cling to every dollar, afraid of the future.
You can live open.
You can live free.
But it starts with a choice.
Not just to give, but to trust.
Let go.
Give anyway.
Kill greed at the root before it grows into something that owns you.
Open hands.
Full hearts.
No idols.
Chapter Eight: Open Hands, Full Mission
You’ve made it to the end of this book.
But the real work is just beginning.
Because generosity isn’t something you finish.
It’s something you live.
You were never meant to keep your blessings to yourself.
God didn’t fill your hands just so you could admire what He gave you.
He filled them so you could pour into others.
Now is the time to give.
Now is the time to go.
Now is the time to open your hands—and your life—to the mission of God.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
(Mark 16:15 NASB)
That command wasn’t just for pastors.
It wasn’t just for missionaries.
It was for you.
And guess what? Generosity is one of the most powerful ways to preach the gospel.
You may never step on a stage, but you can serve on a sidewalk.
You may never fly across the globe, but you can reach your neighborhood.
There is someone hungry for hope.
Someone lost in addiction.
Someone drowning in shame.
And you carry the light.
You don’t need to be perfect to serve.
You just need to show up.
With compassion.
With kindness.
With love.
“In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16 NASB)
People don’t just want to hear about Jesus.
They want to see Him in you.
That’s what generosity does.
It makes Jesus visible.
When you give to someone who can’t repay you, they see Him.
When you bring groceries to a struggling family, they see Him.
When you give a ride, share a meal, or just listen with your full attention, they see Him.
You are the vessel.
He is the source.
And the world is the mission field.
Your giving matters.
Your time matters.
Your voice, your prayers, your encouragement—they all matter.
Don’t wait for the right moment.
Don’t wait until it’s easier.
Don’t wait until you “feel called.”
You are called.
Right here.
Right now.
So go love somebody.
Go serve.
Go find a way to give today.
Even if it’s small.
Even if it’s uncomfortable.
God will use it.
Because this world is desperate for hope.
And generous people carry it.
“Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”
(Galatians 6:9 NASB)
You were made to live open.
You were made to give freely.
You were made to love boldly.
You were made to shine the light of Jesus.
Open hands.
Full hearts.
Kingdom impact.
Now go.
Words and Glory 