October 8th: Generous
Generous lesson plan By Keith Galloway
The call to be generous, particularly when that call comes from a religious platform, can stir up some resistance in our hearts. After all there are many entities with their hands in our pockets from the IRS to whoever holds our mortgage or collects our rent, it can feel like we’re always on the defensive with our money. But that defense doesn’t end just with our wallets. Another scarce resource we just can’t find enough of is our time. Seconds seem to turn into years faster than we’d like so a force or two plus volunteering at church plus time with family can evaporate precious time and leave us feeling empty and ragged. And to top this off, any gifting or abilities we have can put us in demand with others (handymen know what I’m talking about) which again can move us into a heart posture of protecting what we have from anyone and anything that makes a request of us.
Anytime I feel defensive I’ve found it’s probably a good idea to unpack that reaction, hold it up to God’s truth, and move forward in step with the scripture and the Spirit.
First and foremost, generosity must flow from the heart. Jesus gave of his resources to the poor, needy, and destitute not out of pity but out of love. He also gave out of the resources of the Father which are unlimited. A heart posture of gratitude absolutely leads to being free to give of what we’ve been given. There was a time in my life where I sincerely felt like I had earned what I had through hard work and tenacity. And, not that I haven’t put in the effort to accomplish goals or achieve a significant benchmark, but ultimately everything I have is a gift. I can truthfully not claim anything on my own. Each gift, each goal, all of it can be traced back to the Father. There have been decisions I made in various stages of life, not great decisions mind you, that could have significantly derailed my path except for the grace and mercy of God. Grace and mercy that I didn’t deserve but was freely given. Thank God his posture is not a stingy, defensive one when it comes to our requests, but instead he gives with such love and generosity encouraging us to follow his lead.
The example from the Father to his children has been clear from day 1. He is generous, but are we also required to do what he does? There are many instances in the Bible that God challenged his people, and continues to challenge us today, to give freely. Malachi 3:10 we’re even encouraged to test God through our generosity to see his faithfulness on display. Matthew 22:21 instructs us to ensure that we pay our share of taxes to the state while also committing to God what belongs to him. We’re reminded of how Jesus lived here on earth in his response to a would-be follower in Luke 9:58 “…’Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’” So yes, God is generous and gives to us freely. In many ways I have so much more than I need and deserve. And yes, these gifts of finances, abilities, and even time aren’t just for me. We are conduits of God’s goodness for the rest of his people. We test the Father’s generosity by being generous beyond where we feel comfortable and he responds by being even more generous. In fact, I’d argue that Jesus showed us that our comfort is very much not the point.
I do think it’s important to note that a true generous heart seeks no return. Jesus again sets the example here by giving from the love he had for others without receiving anything in return. In fact, the more he gave the more people followed after him to have him give more. How many times did he feed thousands of people??? In the West we can be lured into an expectation of giving to receive much like we do with our investments - the more we put in typically the more we get out. But that’s not necessarily the equation we’re working with in the Kingdom mindset. I’ve heard pastors encourage their congregation to tithe because God won’t bless them financially until they do. And while Malachi does seem to lay the groundwork for this math, that is absolutely not the case. God gives to us what we need and those gifts to some might look like more or less than others. But to what is given much is expected. Matthew 25:26-30 reminds us that God does give to us and he does want his gifts to be used to provide a return to his kingdom. As with all things our heart posture is the point so we’re called to give without an expectation of receiving a return on that gift. We’re also called to humility in the generosity process, knowing that we give isn’t ours to give but we’re essentially just the middlemen who have been entrusted with Kingdom resources.
Here are a few questions for us to consider and reflect on as we press into generosity with a Kingdom mindset:
1) Do I feel defensive when it comes to generosity and if so, what is God’s truth regarding this heart posture?
2) Where do I feel that I lack the resources to give? Does the Bible have anything to say about that feeling?
3) What could a generous heart posture inspire in and through me? In other words, in a perfect world what would be possible that maybe doesn’t feel possible today?