My daughter was selling cookies with her Girl Scout troop at our local grocery store. One person bought two boxes and handed a scout a one-hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change,” he said with a wink. The scout looked at the bill with big eyes, and turned to the group leader, unsure what to do. “Thank you!” the leader and I called after him, and the girls followed suit. They were stunned by his generosity.
Years later, I still remember and am inspired by this moment. I want to be generous with my money, my time and my gifts, but I am frequently stuck in the daily schedule of tasks, not looking for opportunities to be generous.
Jesus says that he came that we may “have life and have it abundantly.” Often, we have a scarcity mentality. We think we are not wealthy enough to be generous or that our schedules are too full to add one more thing. We see lack where God sees abundance.
A wealth of generosity
The Apostle Paul encourages the Corinthians to be generous. He writes that the churches in Macedonia have “abundant joy” and “extreme poverty” but also a “wealth of generosity.” He claims that “each gave according to their means and even beyond their means” (2 Corinthians 8:3).
Paul invites the Corinthians to join in generosity in response to the grace given to them by God. I believe this Scripture invites all of us to do the same today.
Being generous is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). When we are filled with God’s Spirit, we want to be generous. We want to share because we know everything we have comes from God. We want to give our time and talents, serve those in need and join in the mission of the church.
Opportunities for generosity
Being an active member in our local church can lead to many opportunities to be generous. In The United Methodist Church, one of our membership vows is to “faithfully participate in the life and ministries of our congregation with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.”
Faithful participation is more than Sunday worship. There are countless ways to serve in your church and community. Maybe you could help with or attend Sunday school or a small group gathering or serve on a ministry team.
Many churches have a stewardship season, when congregants are asked to be in prayerful consideration about their financial support of the church in the next year. Churches are also usually asking people to consider a next step in ministry or their engagement in the congregation.
One other way that God invites us to be generous is by calling us to be in relationship with others. We can be generous with our time. We can be generous with our compassion and care, by reaching out first, sending a card or making a call. We can be generous by having a real, honest conversation with someone with whom we disagree.
We can be generous and believe the best about people, rather than jumping to conclusions. Generosity entails seeing and treating everyone we meet as a beloved child of God.
Reflect
Do you remember a time when someone was generous to you?
When have you been generous?
How did it make you feel to give or receive generosity?
Can you think of a relationship that you have, or want to have, in which you could be generous with your love and care toward the other person?
Let us pray: Holy One, you have been so generous to us in so many ways. We thank you for the beauty around us, for the many blessings you give us and for your unconditional love. Give us a spirit of generosity so that those with whom we come into contact may know your love, joy and peace. Amen.
The Rev. Tiffany McDonald is an Ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church serving in the Minnesota Annual Conference. She has served as a University Chaplain, solo pastor and associate pastor, and is currently appointed to family leave. Tiffany lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with her husband and two daughters. Follow her blog: redheadedrev.org
