Show Appreciation for Jehovah’s Generosity

JEHOVAH is a generous God. (James 1:17) We can see his generosity in everything he created. He filled the universe with stars, and he covered the earth with beautiful plants.—Psalm 65:12, 13; 147:7, 8; 148:3, 4.

The writer of Psalm 104 was very thankful for all that Jehovah had created, so he wrote a song to praise him. When you read that psalm, do you feel as thankful as the psalmist was? He said: “I will sing to Jehovah throughout my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.” (Psalm 104:33) Do you want to do the same?

THE GREATEST EXAMPLE OF GENEROSITY

Jehovah wants us to imitate his generosity. And he gives us good reasons to be generous. He inspired the apostle Paul to write: “Instruct those who are rich in the present system of things not to be arrogant, and to place their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly provides us with all the things we enjoy. Tell them to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be generous, ready to share, safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, so that they may get a firm hold on the real life.”—1 Timothy 6:17-19.

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul explained what our motive should be when we give to others. He said: “Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) Whom do we help when we are generous? Paul said that we help others by giving them what they need, but we also help ourselves because Jehovah will bless us.—2 Corinthians 9:11-14.

Paul then referred to the greatest proof of God’s generosity when he said: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable free gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Jehovah’s “free gift” includes all the good things that he gives us through Jesus Christ. Words cannot describe how valuable this gift is.

How can we show that we are thankful for all that Jehovah and Jesus have done and will do for us? One way is by being generous when we give of our time, energy, and material things to worship Jehovah and help others learn about him. We can do this whether we have a lot or very little.—1 Chronicles 22:14; 29:3-5; Luke 21:1-4.

How Some Choose To Contribute To The Worldwide Work

Like the Christians who lived in the first century, many today set aside money for the worldwide work and put it in the contribution box of their congregation. (1 Corinthians 16:2) Each month, congregations send these contributions to the office of Jehovah’s Witnesses that serves their country. You can also send donations directly to the legal organization used by Jehovah’s Witnesses in your country. To find out the name of that organization, please go to www.jw.org and contact the local office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can send the following donations:

DONATIONS

Donations using electronic bank transfer, debit card, or credit card. In some countries you can also donate using jw.org or another website.
Donations of cash, jewelry, or other valuable personal belongings. Include a letter explaining that the cash or the item is a donation without conditions.

DONATIONS WITH CONDITIONS

Donations of cash with the condition that it can be returned if you need it.
Include a letter explaining that there are conditions to the donation.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN DONATE

Listed below are other ways you can donate to support the preaching work worldwide. Before donating, please contact the branch office that oversees your country to find out which donations are accepted where you live. Legal requirements and tax laws are not the same everywhere, so ask someone who knows about the laws before making a donation.

Insurance: If a person has a life insurance policy or a retirement/pension plan, he can make a donation by naming one of the legal organizations used by Jehovah’s Witnesses as the beneficiary.

Bank Accounts: Depending on local bank requirements, a person can set up a bank account, certificate of deposit, or an individual retirement account as a trust. He can also specify that one of the legal organizations used by Jehovah’s Witnesses will receive the money after his death.

Stocks and Bonds: A person can donate his stocks and bonds to a legal organization used by Jehovah’s Witnesses. He may also write an agreement directing that these be transferred after his death.

Real Estate: If a person has real estate that can be sold, he can donate it to a legal organization used by Jehovah’s Witnesses. If he lives on the property, he may arrange to continue to live there until his death.

Gift Annuity: A person can donate money or securities to a legal organization used by Jehovah’s Witnesses and make an agreement to receive a certain amount of money every year while he is alive. He may receive an income-tax deduction for the year in which he makes this donation.

Wills and Trusts: A person can arrange to have his property or money donated after his death. He can do this through a legally executed will or a trust agreement in which he names a legal organization used by Jehovah’s Witnesses as the beneficiary. This arrangement may provide certain tax advantages.

You can find more information on how to donate to the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the brochure Charitable Planning to Benefit Kingdom Service Worldwide, which has been prepared in English and Spanish. The brochure has information on the different ways a person can make a gift. The information in this brochure may not apply fully to your situation because of tax laws or other laws in your country. So after reading the brochure, you should discuss it with your own legal or tax adviser. Many people have helped to support our worldwide work and have received tax benefits by donating in one of these ways. If this brochure is available in your country, you can request a copy from the secretary of the local congregation.

For more information, you may contact the local office of Jehovah’s Witnesses.