Today is Day 33, and we are focusing on the practice of generosity.

(You can catch up on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 15, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day 23, Day 24, Day 25, Day 26, Day 27 Day 28, Day 29, Day 30 if you missed them)

God’s generosity

A good portion of the Christian life is stewarding God’s generosity to us. We experience God’s radical forgiveness, and so we, in turn, can easily forgive others. We experience His love, kindness, and generosity, and we delight in giving more of the same from the overflow we’ve received. Bit by bit, as we give what we have to Him to be used for His Kingdom, we find each of those resources growing. Out of all the practices, giving creates the most joy! Jesus told us it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

We are called to live differently than those who aren’t following Jesus. And we can do so because of God’s generosity. Because He has been so overwhelmingly generous to us, we can, in turn, be generous to others.

In this upside-down Kingdom of God, the first is last (Matthew 20:16), leaders are the servants of all (Matthew 20:26-28), enemies are loved, not hated, curses are met with blessings instead of more curses (Matthew 5:43-44), and we receive by giving away (Proverbs 11:24-25). As citizens of this Kingdom, we are known by our love (John 13:35), we do more than is required of us (walking the extra mile- Matthew 5:41), we turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), we return evil with good (Romans 12:17), and we forgive 70 times 7 (Matthew 18:22). While the world heaps up treasure to be enjoyed now, we focus on treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). We sow joyfully and generously. We will be made rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion. (2 Corinthians 9:6-12)

These aren’t easy things to do! It takes the kind of strength and character that only comes from God. We can do this only because of God’s generosity to us first. Because we have been generously given all these things, we don’t have to worry about status or position, we can be least and servant of all. We’ve been so generously forgiven we can easily forgive, etc.

And so before we look at how to be more generous ourselves, we will begin at the beginning and spend time considering God’s generosity to us. Any fruit we bear for the Kingdom is only because we have stayed connected to the Vine.

Reflection for prayer and/or journaling:

What have you been given? Jesus offers you full forgiveness, sacrificial love, and constant fellowship. If you are reading this, it likely means you have more resources than most in this world.

Action steps:

Consider the vast blessings you’ve been given. Tomorrow we’ll look at how we respond to these blessings. For today, just thank God for the abundance you’ve been blessed with.

Pray together:

Father, you are extravagant in your love and in pouring our blessings to us! There is nothing better than your love and our ability to have a relationship with you. We stand in awe of your gifts, great and small, for family and friends close to our hearts, for the creation around us, the things we can touch and experience, the colors and smells and textures. And for the things that remind us how small we are in your vast creation, the mountain vistas, the ocean waves crashing, and the heavens above us. Help us orient our hearts around your generosity and help us have a spirit of generosity. In the name of Jesus, amen.

♥ Samantha