Word of the Week - Generosity
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Generosity defined by Marriam Webster as liberal in giving: openhanded; marked by abundance or ample proportion. I love the spirit of Generosity because it is truly the spirit of the Lord. Our God is an amazing and abundant giver.
God our Provider – “And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:19 One of God’s name’s is Jehovah Jireh, which means God our provider. If we truly believe God is the creator of all things and our provider then we can understand that all things come from God and He can give us whatever we need and much, much more. Are we living Generous lives in how we love and serve others? Are we clinging onto what which we believe will give us security? Are we at peace, and confident in trusting God as our true provider? Do we believe and trust that God knows what we need? If we truly understand where our blessing and provision come from it gives us confidence to trust God by faith and live with a spirit of Generosity.
Heart of Gratitude – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life ” John 3:16 It begins with understanding what God has done for us through His son Jesus. If we really receive the amazing gift of grace and immeasurable Generosity that God showed to us through the Cross, then we cannot help but want to respond by giving and sharing what we have been given. This is a heart of gratitude that leads to a life of generosity. One common denominator of Generosity is Generous people don’t hold on to anything too tightly, whether money or status.
Generous Living – It truly is “More blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:25 Generosity is a state of the heart, not necessarily of your wallet. It encompasses all areas of our lives and resources including time, talents and treasures. Are we generous and open handed with the blessings that we have been given regardless of the measure of what we possess? Generous living is truly having a posture of “giving” to others out of what God has given to us. Some examples include giving your time to disciple or mentor others or giving your financial resources to support Kingdom work. This is above and beyond the tithe. The tithe is a minimum threshold but very important. There are multi-dimensions to living Generously. We must be discerning and pray for wisdom in the process because we cannot say yes to everything but we should be open to be lead by God’s spirit towards what are the right things to invest in.
The Blessing – “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others in the name of Jesus will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25. Just like all matters of faith, we must step out in faith and trust God by His word to experience the blessing. I am continuing to grow in my journey of Generosity but I can testify by personal experience over the past 20 years that God is true to His word. There is an amazing blessing in Generosity and the spirit of giving and it is the antidote to the spirt of fear, pride and greed. When we recognize God as the provider of all things and live in Generosity we are blessed beyond measure. The Lord truly loves a “Cheerful giver” and will bless those that “Sow Generously”. Despite many challenges and difficulties in life, I truly feel that I am living and waking in abundance as described in Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us”.
So let’s step into all that God has for us by trusting Him as our Generous Father who wants to bless us His children with “life that is truly life” 1 Timothy 6:17-18 in Christ Jesus. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”
Let’s live our lives with abundant Generosity!!!!!