Eyes to SeeSample

Psalm 24:1 begins, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” While this is true for all people, it is something Christians recognize: That all we have and are—our bodies, minds, souls, abilities, jobs, finances, time, relationships, and environment—is a gift from God and belongs to Him.

Think of the time a huge hungry crowd surrounded Jesus. The need was overwhelming to the disciples. Philip said, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:7).

But one small boy simply gave all he had to Jesus: five small barley loaves and two small fish. After thanking God for it, Jesus distributed this little lunch, so everyone had as much as they wanted. They even had leftovers! Serving one another with a spirit of generosity is part of mending our broken relationships with God, ourselves, others, and the world. We all move out of the poverty of these broken relationships as we give ourselves and our resources to God.

When we give what we have, we bless others and experience blessings ourselves. God provides each of us with the means to be a blessing—whether that is money, knowledge, opportunities, privilege, or time. What matters isn’t how big the gift is but how big the trust in God is. Jesus saw a poor widow give two small copper coins and declared she had put the most into the treasury that day.

Lini and Gil from St. Thomas, ON, are Compassion sponsors, but it hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes they’ve been between jobs and have had to trust God from payment to payment. They sent a little extra to their sponsor child, Diana, when possible, as a family gift. They had no idea how God had multiplied their generosity to change one family’s life. Diana’s father died from HIV/AIDS, and her mother supported six children alone. Diana’s younger sister died from malnutrition because there were no means to acquire food. But when Lini and Gil sponsored Diana, everything changed. The couple sent a family gift of $65, and Diana’s mom used it to invest in her struggling vegetable business. Now, she makes enough from her business to provide the basic necessities for her children and send them to school.

“When I can make a sacrifice, it might seem like a big one at the moment,” says Lini. “But when I see how it’s changing lives, it’s really not.”

In thinking about what generosity might look like in your own life, consider 2 Corinthians 8:13-15:

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time, your plenty will supply what they need so that, in turn, their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

God has given us the mandate to care for others and every resource necessary for the task. We don’t have to be wealthy to be generous, but it is costly: We simply have to offer all God has given us back to Him in service of others.

Reflect:

• How are you practicing generosity with your time, talents, and money? What holds you back from further generosity?

Pray:

Lord, the story of the little boy sharing his lunch and the poor widow giving all she had are humbling to me. Even though I try to be generous, I often forget that everything is Yours. Help me to live, work and give in a way that blesses others and honours You. Amen.