The Book of Giving: How the God Who Gives Can Make Us Givers

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

Giving changes everything. It will change your heart. And then it will change the world. That's not because being generous is "good." It's because God changes the world through giving. God so loved the world that he gave. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a giving circle, and they've invited us into it. The more we give, the more we resemble the God who is always giving himself to us. Giving our time, our attention, our resources to others is what life is all about. In this book, you'll learn why and how. You'll be transformed into someone who finds joy in giving, and thus who finds joy in the very nature of God. The Book of Giving is an antidote for the selfishness that tears our world apart. God is restoring all things. And he's doing it through giving. Come and be a part of it all.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Discipleship

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Pierce Taylor Hibbs is a wordsmith who builds things to bring readers closer to God. He's the award-winning author of Theological English, and has also written more popular works on theology such as Finding God in the Ordinary, The Speaking Trinity, and Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety. Download free ebooks and resources from piercetaylorhibbs.com.

Reviews

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful read. Most of us immediately think of monetary giving when we hear the word “giving”, but talk about money plays a very minor role in this book (only one short chapter towards the end is devoted to money). It’s more about giving broadly conceived, inherently relational and circular. The starting point is looking at giving within the Trinity. Like the author’s other writings, it is very personally and practically written with theology, especially the doctrine of God, at its foundation.

[Robin Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Christians, the act of giving is and plays a central incorporated part of our faith, for let us not forget the words of JOHN 3:16 [NKJV]:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

There is a certain wondrous feeling we get each time we freely give of ourselves, especially when we are not seeking to receive something in return. However, according to LUKE 6:3 [NKJV], the Lord does reward His givers:

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Unfortunately, I believe the vast majority of us reading this are devoid of the knowledge of what the act of giving is all about, especially when it comes to impacting the lives we live as Christians.
I found this book by Pierce Taylor Hibbs to a highly informative and inspiring reading experience. The author desires to educate his readers in transforming their lives through the simple act of giving themselves to others by eradicating the predominances of selfishness in the world today. According to the author in his description for the book: "Giving changes everything. It will change your heart. And then it will change the world. That's not because being generous is "good." It's because God changes the world through giving.
This book's beauty lies with the author, not simply showing us the beauty that exists in the simple act of giving; Mr. Hibbs also includes a prayer, reflection questions, and an activity at the end of each chapter. Being the reviewer of nonfiction Christian that I've become, I've given Mr. Hibbs 5 STARS for his endeavor here by showing his readers how the simple act of giving changes everything and makes the world go round.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've long advocated that since beauty is wed to truth, Christian works shouldn't read like encyclopedias. Theology should be a joy to read. Our God is glorious. This is the truth. But if one danger is dry truth, the other is a beauty that's all wet. Hibb's isn't all wet, but he's a bit more wet than I'd prefer. Sometimes I believe a bit too much poetic license is taken, so that rather than serving truth, one is distracted by possible errors—not errors Hibbs advocates mind you, but errors an image might invite. At other times, I would ask Hibbs as a brother if he wasn't more concerned about the beauty than the truth. Keep them wed. And let the truth lead. Beauty is a graceful dance partner that really shines when she follows. Sometimes while a partner may follow physically, she can still dominate emotionally. It's the latter I'm concerned about in this particular dance.

If this were a concrete pour, I'd advise more mix and rebar and less water. If it were a piece of woodwork, I'd advise that there be less ornamentation and more concern to let the natural beauty of the wood shine through. Craftsmanship shouldn't make a show of its skill, but of the material itself. If this were a sermon, I'd advise less illustration and more exposition. Pick just the right stain so as to make the woodgrain of scripture pop, and not be eclipsed by the stain itself.

[Susan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful work from Hibbs. He writes with such wisdom and encouragement that you don’t even notice the weight of the truths he is conveying. But they are weighty and significant. Hibbs lays out how God is a God who gives as part of his nature and how we are both recipients and can be models of that giving. I learned to appreciate God’s love and provision in greater depth and was encouraged to continue the circle of giving to the people around me. Hibbs provides specific examples of how to do that, like focused listening or weighing words before speaking.
I especially appreciate the resources at the end of each chapter which include a prayer, reflection questions and an activity. These make great opportunities to share the book and read it with another person or in a group. But the book is one that will also work well as a personal devotional, read slowly, taking time to let the truth sink in and shape you.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hibbs has a gift for writing about Biblical and theological realities in a vivid and poetic way (I love this line — “listening is a gift that cups our time and hands it to someone else” — from p.109), but the repetition of ideas began to wear on me after a while. Perhaps the reformed tradition could benefit from more poetry like this, but I struggled to connect.

[Lynnette Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pierce Taylor Hibbs poetically delivers a message for all believers to give from Gods storehouse as He gives to His children. God, the greatest giver of all asks us to give as a reflection of His love and giving spirit towards us.

[Cory Shumate · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so good

This book is artfully written and theologically rich. Generosity rooted in God with a wide scope. I recommend for individuals or groups to study.

[Kellie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was both challenged and encouraged by The Book of Giving. Pierce Taylor Hibbs has a way of taking a familiar concept and adding depth to it, while also challenging his readers to consider giving in a different way.