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May 31, 2005

Generosity

Rob was great on Sunday, speaking from 2Cor 8 on generosity.

We are so thankful for God's extravagant generosity towards us. This generosity is typical of the way he treats us. He is generous in creation, generously forgiving, generous in his blessings, generous in his mercy, generous in his love. God is not stingy. He does not only deal out limited doses of goodness, strictly according to what we have earned. Matt 20:1-15 - among many other passages - teaches us that God is (if you'll excuse the expression) not fair. He reserves the right to give us more than we deserve - even when he is hurt by our abuse of his generosity (such as the 9 ungrateful lepers in Lk 17, the crowd of self-centred followers in Jn 6, or you and me in our half-heartedness and self-centredness).

And so he calls us, too, to godly generosity. How do we match up in this? Are we generous in embracing and including those who are awkward or different? Generous in overlooking the faults of those who annoy and upset us? Generous in doing good to those we consider undeserving? Generous in speaking well of people? Generous in giving to the needy - even if we aren't sure they will use it well? Generous in how we treat those who disagree with us? Generous in believing the best of others?

Or are we mean-spirited? Giving only the time, money, and effort we think we can afford, that which doesn't cost us too much? (It is possible of course to give a lot without being generous - as Jesus' observation of the widow at the temple shows us in Lk 21:1-4.) Are we concerned with controlling and judging others - dishing out only the praise we think they deserve, and the financial help we think they will use properly - thus presuming to ourselves God's role of judge? Are we too busy with looking after our own interests to be able in any case to do more for others than appease our consciences with a nominal financial donation?

Generosity is opposed to meanness, to legalism, to efficiency, to control, to self-concern. Generosity is xenophilic.

So... are we generous with our words, with our homes, with our possessions, with our time, with our money, with our attitudes...? When we meet people like that - people who do not just give a lot of money, but who have a generous attitude to life, who are quick to see and speak of the good in others, and who show unearned kindness, that is so attractive, because there is something of God's character there.

Actually, I guess extravagant generosity is not a bad definition of grace...

Posted by Keith at May 31, 2005 04:45 AM