I think most people want to think of themselves as generous whether they actually are or not. Scripture tells us that God desires that generosity be a part of our character and that it will come from Him. A result of being ‘in Christ’ and having the Holy Spirit indwell us will be a spirit of generosity that will be evident in our lives. There are benefits to having generosity be a part of our character. Psalm 112:5 “God will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conduct his affairs with justice”. Proverbs 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes other will himself be refreshed” and Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Paul describes the Macedonian believers in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” Even though they were ‘poor’ monetarily and under great persecution, they could be and were generous. Their generosity came from a great thankfulness that they had for the salvation and grace that God had shown them in sending Jesus. Jesus is the root of our generosity. He is the one who gave it all for us that we might know Him and have a relationship with God. Through and by God’s grace we can be and are made generous if our hearts are willing . 2 Corinthians 9:11 puts it this way, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” God gives us the resources to practice generosity and that generosity should lead us to giving thanks to God from which everything comes.
Do you see Jesus as the source of your generosity? Or is your generosity driven by self and a desire to ‘look good’ to others? Those things done in the name of Jesus will bear great fruit for Him and for you. Look to God, use His resources and glorify Him with your giving. He will create in you a spirit of generosity that will well up and spill over into all areas of your life.
Linda
