Extravagant Generosity
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 (ESV)
God blesses us with His extravagant generosity every day. If you are reading this, He was generous enough to wake you up this morning. When you are watching the birds at the feeders, getting into your vehicle, going to work, putting out corn for the deer, sitting down to a family meal together, you are experiencing His kindness and bounty. He enjoys giving!
We do not own anything; it all belongs to Him. Consider all that you think you possess; what is the total value? If faced with the decision of Jesus or all your stuff, which would you choose? Could you survive without your cell phone? How would you get to work without your car?
Generosity means more than giving money. I enjoy giving things away, especially when I know I will get nothing in return except a thank you. It makes my heart happy. But the inner question is this: What am I supposed to give? Does it need to be a hot meal or something tangible (although there are times when that kind of giving is appropriate). Have you ever given away any of your most valued treasures?
Just a smile, eye contact, and a head nod might provide someone with a sense of recognition and value. Homelessness and hunger exist in every community, but we don’t want to admit it. What are we doing about these issues?
Is it really more blessed to give than to receive? In our minds, I believe it is. In actuality, we just don’t do it. Why? Because that would mean letting go of some of our possessions.
Are we good stewards? If we own four sets of dishes, every cupboard is full of glassware that hasn’t been used in years, our garbage can is crammed with old leftovers, there is a good chance we aren’t being extravagantly generous! (Of course, I should mention…tithing!)
The one true thing we must give away is the Love of Jesus. It won’t be missed; in fact, it tends to grow exponentially in our own hearts.
Why not consider living the rest of your life as an extravagantly generous Christian?
Heavenly Father, You are always thinking about us and we praise You for Your continual giving. So many times, we forget to thank You. We lift our grateful hearts for each blessing we see and those we don’t recognize. Please teach us how to live lives of extravagant giving. AMEN.