Giving is the Good Life by Randy Alcorn (Summary & Notes)

Randy Alcorn’s “Giving is the Good Life” is a compelling exploration of the joy and fulfillment that comes from living generously.

Known for its practical and inspiring insights, this book has gained acclaim in Christian circles for its powerful message on how giving can enrich our lives.

Book Details:

Title: Giving is the Good Life
Author: Randy Alcorn
Genre: Christian Living / Personal Finance
Publication Date: 2019
ISBN: 978-1496425935

About the Author:

Randy Alcorn is a respected author and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching principles of God-centered living. With his deep understanding of biblical wisdom and personal finance, Alcorn’s insights offer valuable guidance for anyone seeking to align their financial practices with their faith.

Summary of Giving is the Good Life:

Randy Alcorn puts forth a counterintuitive concept in his book “Giving is the Good Life”—that lasting contentment comes not from material possessions and comfort but from the generosity of one’s time, talents, and finances toward helping others. He builds a compelling case using biblical support, historical studies, and real-world examples that the happiest lives are oriented toward giving rather than receiving.

The core premise is that all of our resources ultimately originate from God and belong to God. More than ownership, we have stewardship over the provisions we have been allocated in this life season. Stewardship involves responsibility for wisely managing resources in accordance with the King’s priorities and mandates, not our own selfish interests. Adopting this mindset revolutionizes views on investments, security, consumer goods and financial planning.

Cultivating this eternal perspective is presented as the only way to realign decisions for temporary earth-bound matters with rewards that echo into eternity. Giving into God’s purposes loosens the chokehold possessions and money often wield over people. As bonds weaken to security and significance being found in materials rather than the Maker, true freedom emerges.

Alcorn makes a practical and strategic case for channeling finances generously into ministry initiatives along with tools like donor-advised funds, trusts and foundations to expand Kingdom impacts. He advocates simpler living if needed to free up resources to meet urgent spiritual and physical needs at home and globally.

The central tenet of the entire book is that the bases of prosperity and success need to be redefined from the norms of modern culture. And in so doing, embrace that the most meaning, purpose and richness of life is found when generously distributing all we have received to bless others in Christ’s name. This, asserts Alcorn, constitutes life at its best—the good life.

Selected Passages and Notes from the book:

Jesus calls us to do something radical: love others by giving away our money and time. That sounds like loss, not gain. Yet in God’s economy, that’s exactly how we can expand and enhance our own lives. (3)
The good news is that if we recognize God’s ownership of everything, we’ll steward our resources to help people meet physical and spiritual needs. Our reward will be both future rewards and present contentment, purpose, and what Scripture calls “the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:19, NIV) (6)
God rewards people for generosity in this life as well as in the life to come. He does this because he is a God of grace and a lavish giver himself. (8)
Surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t talk that much about how giving changes the lives of its recipients. More often, it talks about what giving does for the one who gives. (9)
I believe the best way I can serve the needy is to show God’s people the wonder and joy, as well as the present and future rewards of generous giving. (10)
In turn, as you apply these principles in your own unique way and place, you will become an example to others, “a letter from Christ…written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God…carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3, NLT) (10)
I’m excited about how we can change others’ lives through our giving. But I’m also excited about how giving can change our lives, for God’s glory and our good. (10)
God commanded his people, “Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need” (Deuteronomy 15:10-11, NLT). This was a command, yet God said they should “share freely.” He cares about the state of our hearts as we give. (55)
The way of loving generosity may sound like dutiful obedience to the uninitiated. But generous givers know the truth: the habit of generosity ultimately EXPLODES into enduring happiness. (59)
It’s okay for riches to come to us but it is dangerous when they stay with us. When we’re quick to give to needy people and worthy causes, riches effectively go through us to honor God and help others. Then and only then can wealth be defanged. (115)
That’s why we should regularly ask ourselves, What will be the consequence of this purchase? What would be the result if I gave or saved that money instead? (118)
Greg [Baumer], who cowrote the book God and Money with John [Cortines] says, “We realized that we were actually asking the wrong question. We were asking, ‘How much do we need to give?’ … The right question is actually ‘How much do I really need to keep?’” (126)
In his sovereignty, God orchestrates unique opportunities for us to be generous. He delights in those moments of divine connection, and so should we. (150)
But compared to 98-99 percent of the world, you have a great deal of money! That’s our problem: when it comes to money and possessions, we tend to compare upward, not downward. (154)
When someone asked my friend Ron Blue, a well-known Christian financial adviser, “How would you sum up your life’s message in a single sentence?” he replied, “God owns it all.” That may be the most biblically grounded four words of financial insight ever given. (157)
Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. –Peter Marshall
Our goodness and generosity point others to the goodness and generosity of our God. (174)
Does doing good and ministering to others involve sacrifice? Absolutely. Often we see payoffs in this life, though sometimes it takes a while. But even when we don’t see the return on our investments now, Jesus promised we will see them in the next life, when he will make sure we “will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14, NIV). (175)
Why has God made us rich compared to much of the world we live in? There is a direct biblical answer: “Your plenty will supply what they need…. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 8:14; 9:11). (175-176)
I believe that while it’s wise to do most of our major giving in a thoughtful, planned way, there’s certainly a place for spontaneous giving. But even unanticipated giving is not ultimately random. If you believe in a sovereign God, then being somewhere at a certain time and place when a particular person is also there is not random, but providentially orchestrated by God. (188)
In his words about storing up treasures in Heaven, Jesus added a stunning corollary. He essentially said this, in what I call the Treasure Principle: “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.” (194)
Jesus promised us treasures in Heaven as a direct result of selling our possessions and giving them to the needy. What a trade: we can transfer wealth from Earth’s precarious paper bags to Heaven’s safe, secure, and unassailable vaults, where it will never be lost!! (195-196)
The scriptural command to store up treasures in Heaven proves that giving isn’t simply parting with wealth – it’s actually transferring wealth to another location, where it will never be lost. In fact, giving to God’s Kingdom is the most dependable and profitable investment there has ever been! (204)
In this light, we should ask ourselves, What will I one day wish I had given away while I still had the chance? When you come up with the answer, why not give it away now? (220)
Can you think of anything better, and more lasting, that you could do with money God has entrusted to you than invest in translation of Scripture into the language of a Bibleless people? (225)
It may surprise you to hear it, but I believe God has likely given you the gift of giving. How can I say that without even knowing you?
If you are pondering these words, that means you have access to this book, are able to read, and probably are above the 95^th percentile when it comes to wealth on a worldwide scale. Very likely you are closer to the 99^th percentile (making $15 an hour would put you at the 98^th). Just as it makes sense for God to provide access to books and training for someone with the gift of teaching or medical knowledge and resources for those with the gift of mercy, it makes sense that God would provide abundant material resources to those he entrusts with the gift of giving. (242)
There are people who reason, If I give generously, I’ll have to worry about where the money will come from to replace what I’ve given. But Jesus actually says the opposite. Immediately after he commands us not to store up treasures in Earth, but store them in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), he says we are to adopt the right perspective (verses 22-23) and serve the right master – God, not money (verse 24).
Our Lord immediately follows this statement by saying three times, “Do not worry” (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34, NIV). The “therefore” of verse 25 tells us that his command not to worry must be understood in light of what he has just stated. In other words, anyone who is investing in the right treasury, adopting the right perspective, and serving the right master has nothing to worry about. (243-244)
What you do with your resources in this life is your autobiography. The story you will have written with the pen of faith and the ink of works will go into eternity unedited, to be seen and read as is by the angels, the redeemed, and God himself. (260)
Maybe you’ll plan some giving adventures where you pay for people’s groceries or meals and discover that what some call random acts of kindness are actually divine appointments. (261)
God is the one who promised to give you “a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). So go ahead—ask him to help you, by the power of his Holy Spirit, to take hold of the life that’s truly life.

That’s a prayer he delights to answer. (261)

Who Would Benefit From This Book?

“Giving is the Good Life” is ideal for Christians aged 25-45, particularly those with families, seeking to align their finances with their faith. It’s perfect for those who enjoy down-to-earth, practical advice over a corporate style, and are looking for ways to manage finances without sacrificing generosity or living joyfully.

Popular Quotes from Giving is the Good Life:

“Jesus calls us to do something radical: love others by giving away our money and time.”
“God rewards people for generosity in this life as well as in the life to come.”
“It’s okay for riches to come to us but it is dangerous when they stay with us.”
“Our goodness and generosity point others to the goodness and generosity of our God.”
“I believe that while it’s wise to do most of our major giving in a thoughtful, planned way, there’s certainly a place for spontaneous giving.”

Related Books:

“The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving” by Randy Alcorn
“Money, Possessions, and Eternity: A Comprehensive Guide to What the Bible Says about Financial Stewardship, Generosity, Materialism, Retirement, Financial Planning, Gambling, Debt, and More” by Randy Alcorn
“The Crumb Jar: Give the Crumbs of Your Money, Time, and Accumulations” by Curtis Hinshaw

Readers who enjoyed “Giving is the Good Life” might also find value in Bob & Linda’s book: Simple Money, Rich Life. Find the connections between financial principles and modern financial strategies to enrich your own financial life!