WEDNESDAY’S WORD -GENEROUS – 06/06/18 – Sadell Bradley

The pastor who eulogized my mother asked for one word to describe her… without hesitation I said GENEROUS. Mommy was notorious for giving to individuals and organizations. She came through in the clutch when people were celebrating special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, proms, or going on vacation. She wouldn’t let you out the door without giving you food or money. She sent gifts in the mail, made cakes, sewed dresses and took people into her home. GENEROUS means showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time than is strictly necessary or expected; showing kindness toward others.  

 

Psalm 112:4-6 says, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.”  Because we live in a time when most people are self-interested, selfish and greedy; when we

come across those whose grace-gift is giving, it’s an oddity. Being generous does not  mean you’re wealthy, and generosity expands beyond just giving to the poor.  In 2 Corinthians 8:2-4, Paul said this about the Macedonian Church, “They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.”  Generous people have learned to trust God to meet their needs. They believe if they water others, they will be watered again. 

Paul told Timothy to command those that are wealthy in this present world, “…to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”  (1 Timothy 6:18-19) In this season, I’ve learned you can’t take it with you. The

shrewd manager in Luke 16 was generous with the bills of the clients he wanted to retain after he’d lost his job, Jesus gave us this instruction, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.” (vs.9)

 

1 Timothy 5:8 says that we are to be generous in providing for our relatives when they are in need. To not do so indicates that we’ve denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.  This does not mean that we have to support able-bodied people who are not willing to work. However, we are sometimes so concerned with being taken advantage of, or not being a doormat, that we will shut our hearts off to those who are truly require help in our families.

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 is my favorite passage about being generous.God the Father loved the world so much. In His generosity, He gave us His greatest gift, His only Son Jesus, so we would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16) This passage on giving is an encouragement to become generous if you’ve not yet been so, and to increase your generosity if that is your propensity: