When we think of generosity, we often think of the big gestures. If someone buys someone an expensive gift, pays for someone’s holiday, gives away their prized possession – that’s generosity, and it definitely is, but I think we forget that generosity is achievable no matter our financial situations.
Jesus is generous, generous by nature, generous by heart, generous to His core – yet we don’t see Him buying land for people or donating homes. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I understand His sacrifice on the cross is and will always be the most generous sacrifice we could ever comprehend, but that wasn’t His only spurt of generosity. Jesus wasn’t generous according to His finances, He wasn’t waiting for income before He gave, but He gave as a conviction.
Achievable generosity
We typically associate financial giving as generosity, but generosity is much vaster than that. Generosity’s definition is, “liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish…”, that’s achievable for me! I don’t have to be rolling in cash to be unselfish.
I see generosity in small acts like paying for someone’s coffee, going out of your way to help someone carry something to their car, taking the time to pray with someone, stopping to encourage someone verbally or even over text, going above and beyond what your boss expects of you. Generosity doesn’t have to be situational; it can be the core of who you are at any time of your life.
Even at your lowest financial slump, you can decide to be generous by devoting your time to people. If you’ve just received a promotion and are earning more money than you’ve ever earnt before, you can be generous by going above and beyond again in your new role. I’ve had to choose to not let a circumstance decide whether I can be generous or not.
Incomprehensible generosity
Jesus was a great example of generosity, not because He always paid for people, but because He generously and freely gave people His time, His teaching, His miracles, His grace, His forgiveness, His love. He never left people without, He never gave less, He freely gave.
The one thing that blows me away about Jesus is how generously He loves. God knows me, He knows me in and out. The things I’ve done wrong, the times I’ve disobeyed, the worst and the best of me, He’s not just aware, but He loves me wholeheartedly. How could a God who so fiercely detests evil, see it in me and love me all the more?
When I remember that, generosity isn’t about me impressing anyone, looking financially stable, appearing kind, but it’s a reaction to the gratitude I feel. Generosity isn’t just a decision I’ve made, it’s the most appropriate response. How great and how big is my God, and He loves me still.
How I hope that people feel a glimpse of God’s love and forgiveness for them, through what I can do for them. That by being kind to someone in the coffee line next to me, they might feel valuable enough to talk to. That by dropping flowers at a friend’s door, they might feel loved on a lonely night. That by making a meal for a friend, they might know God knows they didn’t have the money to eat that day.
Generosity can sometimes seem so unachievable and so circumstantial. I’ve got to remember that I want to be generous no matter my bank account and no matter my situation, but I want to be generous because God is generous towards me. Jesus sends out his disciples this way, “…freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew chapter 10, verse 8). To give is not a money thing, it’s not even a gift thing, but a heart thing.
“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love?”
(1 John chapter 3, verses 16-17)
Rochelle Ross lives on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. She loves people, the moon, dirty food and Jesus and is very passionate about seeing young people know the love of God. She works as a Plastering Assistant during the week and a Personal Assistant to the youth pastors and is eager to learn, love and share people’s stories and her own life lessons.