generous in every way

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:10-11

Grace should create grace. The generous love of Christ compels those redeemed by Jesus to return generous love back to Christ and outward to other people. It should not be the case that Christians are selfish skinflints! We should be the most generous of people. Paul wrote outstanding words of commendation to the Corinthian church regarding their generosity. And remember in the first letter to them, they were shown to be a church with a huge host of problems: divisiveness, immaturity, immorality, doctrinal ambiguity, apathy toward sin, and a casual view of authority. But despite all this, they knew how to give because of grace. And once they repented of their shallow sins, their generosity became even greater.

I am not perfect. I have had my own selfish nature repeatedly hit by the wrecking ball of the gospel! Jesus has to demolish a lot in me still... a work that I must see as ongoing. But He has also given me the hope of being generous. I am not generous in order to earn anything from God because I cannot earn grace. Rather, I do so out of love for His grace. I’m not particularly rich by my culture’s standards. Neither am I poor. I am the blessed American living in the lower middle class. We get by comfortably. I’ve never gone to bed hungry. I’ve always had a home. I can travel where I please. I enjoy so many good gifts, it is outrageous, particularly as I have travelled and seen other people and places in the world so vastly different.

I am aware of my blessed position. And I want to be generous as a result. I hope to get to the place where I can give away a majority of my income... investing in Christ’s kingdom through Christian stewardship, helping the poor, volunteering my time, bettering the world, and living in simplicity. And God will still provide for me as He promises so that I may be generous with His blessings to me in every way!