I was reading a list of philanthropists and their giving. The list included Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, Bill and Melinda Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and the giving was in the billions of dollars.
Of course, these people are extremely rich in worldly possessions and are generous with what they have. What most of us are able to give monetarily pales in comparison. That brings up the question, “Is generosity a matter of money only?”
We tend to associate the word generosity with financial giving, since that is what we see so often, but a generous spirit is so much more than just about money. It is about what is in our hearts.
David reminds us in Psalm 13 that our God is a generous God. “I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously.” [v6 HCSB]
His generosity is shown to us in so many ways. We receive salvation as a free gift based on His grace. We receive mercy, and compassion, and kindness. He gives us His Spirit to indwell us to lead us in all His ways. He lavishes wisdom upon us when we simply ask Him for it. He provides comfort when we sorrow, and joy in the midst of our tears. He lifts us up when we fall and forgives us when we come to Him in repentance.
He does all that because He loves us, and His love is a generous love.
So, what manner of person should we be if we are made in His image?
We should reflect His generous nature to our world in our patience, understanding, respect, and willingness to give the benefit of the doubt. That is but the beginning of being generous … after we learn that, there is so much more!
