Giving is fun! Really, it is! When I write a tithe check to my church, send a donation to various causes, or give to kids who are going on a missions trip; it is one of the most joyous things for me. Getting little gifts for my wife is fun, too. It’s hard for me to resist a bunch of flowers when I’m at the supermarket. Giving time away is one of the more rewarding parts of my life, too. After a long morning at my desk, doing the administrative work of the church or studying to teach, few things are more refreshing to my heart than calling somebody who is lonely, or visiting someone confined by illness, or giving counsel to someone who is struggling through life.
There’s a man in our church who has discovered the joy of generosity. He’s given thousands of dollars to projects and people during the years that I have known him. He does so without fanfare or recognition, often slipping the money to me in a plain envelope with instructions about delivering it. Another woman, not a wealthy one either, sends several hundreds of dollars to the church every month to give to a family in need. Recently she wrote to me to say how much it meant to her to be able to bless others in that way despite the fact that her giving is done in secret and without acknowledgment.
I know others who are generous in spirit refusing offense, seldom speaking critically, offering encouragement. Even when they are misunderstood or maligned, their magnanimous heart absorbs the blow and returns a blessing!
Take a look at this passage from the Bible, as translated in The Message: “God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-11)
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Have you discovered the joy of generosity? It’s a way of life that flows out of an abundance mentality. Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, borrowed a Biblical concept and coined that phrase, “abundance mentality.” He says that it is a way of thinking that believes there are enough resources to share with others that leads to a life of generosity. He insists that generosity multiplies our resources rather than diminishing them. Jesus Christ said it first - "Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” (Luke 6:38, The Message)
Here’s a word from the Word. As you read it, do not read it only as being about money. Let it speak to every part of your life. "Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. … For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:7,9, NIV) That word, ‘grace,’ comes from the NT Greek word, ‘charis,’ which describes any act or quality that brings pleasure, joy, benefit, or delight. Our generosity is a grace, a gift designed to bring joy, that is modeled on the generosity of Jesus Christ, whose grace brought life to us!
I hope you find many ways to grace your world today, leaving a trail of people touched by joy, blessed by your generous spirit, to the glory of the One who first loved us! Amen.
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Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad.
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.
Give as 'twas given to you in your need;
Love as the Master loved you.
Be to the helpless a helper indeed;
Unto your mission be true.
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing,
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Make Me A Blessing
Wilson, Ira B. / Schuler, George S.
Word Music Group, Inc.
© 1924. Renewed 1952 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
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