Generosity's work

 

1 Corinthians 8:1-5

Some of us have the spiritual gift of generosity. Giving is easy for those people. And it's not only about having the finances to be generous. It's an attitude that looks first to the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The gift of generosity compels those people to give in ways that might make the rest of us uncomfortable or reluctant. I'm grateful we recognize generosity as a gift of God's spirit. It gives us a chance to reflect on how meaningful giving is to our faith. There are, at least, three ways generosity builds the church. First, generosity is a blessing. When generosity meets a need, we help take care of a part of someone's life. This weekend, our church gave an impromptu gift to a neighbor who lost his home in a fire Sunday morning. The neighbor's tears showed me they knew it was a blessing. Second, ministry happens because of generosity. I need to remind you kingdom ministry comes in many forms. But generosity also takes on many forms. And, often, it doesn't cost anything. Still, there are financial ministry needs generosity supports. Even Jesus had people who gave money to maintain his public ministry (Luke 8:3). Generosity can help establish, maintain and even strengthen ministry. Finally, generosity is contagious. Around Christmas time I remember a saint who is no longer with us. She used to provide tamales for our last food pantry opening before Christmas. She was an older widow who provided tamales for over 100 people. And everyone loved it--it was a treat. The year she passed away, someone else found out about her tamale tradition and decided to keep it going. Plus, the person who made the tamales made breakfast for another month. That's how generosity works. It inspires. It helps us see what we can be a part of that can make a difference in the world. So, if generosity is your gift, thank you for using it for God's glory. If it isn't, thank you for being generous even when you didn't' feel like it. And look to others to show you how fun generosity can be. Stay blessed...john