My Heart Is For This HouseSample

DAY FOUR:

Generous people are: CONTAGIOUS 

SCRIPTURE: John 12:3 NLT 

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.”

Have you ever met a person that just “rubbed off” on everyone they met? Someone with a magnetic personality, a unique gift or maybe just an unbelievably loving and kind person? In the best way possible, all Christians are called to be somewhat “contagious.”  Everywhere we go, we should affect the environment. 

In the scripture we read today, historians say that Mary poured out not just any perfume, but $50,000 of the finest perfume there was on Jesus’ feet. Not only was it expensive, it was a strong scent. That smell would not have just filled the house, it possibly would have filled the entire street. That whole neighborhood must have known something special was going on. The same can be true of our generosity. When we pour out our very best before God, it impacts the environment and inspires others. Our generosity has a contagious affect to it. 

Years back, CBS News did a story from Amesbury, Massachusetts, of something unusual that happened at a coffee shop called “Heav’nly Donuts.” 

On a Friday morning, Eileen Taylor made her usual stop at the popular donut shop. The woman in front of her paid for her drinks, and she thought that was really cool. So, the next morning she was at the same shop and decided to return the favor by paying for the car behind her in the drive-through. When she did this, that car then paid for the car behind them, and the next car did the same thing. This kept going for 14 cars, 15 cars and 16... Each person paying for the person behind them. 

The cashier started letting the customers know, “Hey, we’re 17 cars in, you can either keep it going or you can take your coffee and go. Either way it’s your choice.” 

At the end of that morning, according to the cashier 55 consecutive customers rolled through and paid for the person behind them. I’d love to know who the stingy 56th person was. Employees were stunned that every customer was so willing and eager to continue the chain of generosity. 

You don’t know the ripple effect that your generosity can have on someone else’s life. One kind act of generosity can set something into motion that you never thought possible. We have no idea how another generation might be affected by what we build today. 

Would you consider your lifestyle of helping others an example worth following? 

Have you seen your generosity inspire other people?

Let’s be contagious and generous people.