My Heart Is For This HouseExemple

DAY TWO: Generous people are: GRATEFUL SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:8 MSG “…you have been treated generously, so live generously.” Have you ever opened your closet and thought, “I have nothing to wear,” or opened up your fridge and said, “I have nothing to eat,” or maybe you’ve turned on the TV and thought to yourself, “there’s nothing to watch.” Most of us are naturally inclined to focus on what we lack rather than what we already have. However, when we start focusing on what we do have instead of what we don't have, we are well on our way to experiencing gratitude. There is something about a grateful spirit that can shift your entire mood. We often think that being rich might make us happy, but really, it’s grateful people that are happy! Pastor Brian Houston has said, “the purpose of God's blessing is to enable you to be a great channel of blessing to others.” When we truly enjoy what we have and are grateful, it's natural to want others to experience it with us, so we give. A grateful spirit often inspires a generous spirit. You see, it’s hard to be generous with what you have, unless you’re first grateful for what you have! The Bible tells us, “every good and perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:7) This means that every good thing we have in life comes from God.  He is in the business of giving gifts, bestowing blessings, and helping people to obtain an abundant life (John 10:10). The Bible doesn’t say that, “God so loved the world that He sang a song, wrote a poem or said a prayer.” It says, He gave His Son (John 3:16).  We have a relationship with a generous God. Because our God is a giver, we should be as well. In our scripture reading today it says, “we have been treated generously, so live generously.” We believe that generosity is inspired and grows as a response to everything God has done for us. We’re not giving for the church; we’re giving because God saved our life!  Billy Graham once said, “God has given us two hands, one to receive and one to give.” When was the last time you expressed your gratitude to God or others? Are you releasing of your time, talent and resources because of everything God has done for you? Let’s be a grateful and generous people.