Generosity and Giving
Still another pathway that leads to a fuller life in Jesus Christ has to do with how we share the resources we have at our disposal. Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about money. That may seem strange. Sometimes the best way to become a more faithful as a follower of Jesus Christ is to turn our attention away from the making and spending money. Money can have a rather strong influence on us. The best way to know that we control our money (and our money does not control us) is to give our money away.
We can use what we’ve been given to accomplish great things. When we share what we have, we find that we actually get many intangible riches in return. Our heart grows larger, not smaller. We are more likely to take joy and delight in seeing what our giving makes possible. Real generosity is characterized by giving that is regular, intentional, and sacrificial or costly.
Being more open-handed leads us to be more open-hearted. When we practice generosity, we become more like Christ who shows us what true generosity looks like:
Questions to consider:
- Do I give regularly or haphazardly? Regularly or sporadically?
- Do I stop to pray about what I give?
- How might sharing what I have help to make God’s love more evident and available to others?
Growing disciples make giving and sharing an intentional part of their life. Generosity is a good way of unclogging the arteries of our hearts and making oneself available to be used by God.
Blessings,
Pastor Steve