A Generous Life - Horizon Church March Bible Reading PlanНамуна

Over and Above Generosity

Michelle Peak

Can you remember when you were a child and there was one piece of cake left and you had to share it with your siblings. You would carefully cut that piece of cake to ensure that no one received a bigger piece, it had to be cut absolutely evenly. The thought of allowing a sibling the opportunity to choose a bigger piece of cake wasn’t natural because our human nature says “either I get the biggest piece or we all get exactly the same.”

When I look at the BIble and see the heart of God, I realise it’s so different from our normal way of doing things. The Bible says if someone wants your shirt give him your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles (Matthew 5:40-41).

Our natural tendency is to carefully manage our giving, often seeing how close we can get to “having done enough” without going “too far”. The problem with this thinking is that we put limits on what God can do through us. He is the God of can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or imagine, and He wants to do this through you and me.

Every area of our life should be an expression of love for Jesus and love for others.

I can remember my dad saying this a couple of times in church. Hold your tithes and offerings in your hand (this was when we gave cash) and say to God ‘no matter what I say or do, this is what I think of you’. It would usually always challenge the motive behind our giving, because not always would we give out of a genuine love for God.

Every area of our life should flow from a grateful heart of acknowledging and responding to God's incredible love for us. I give because I love God and love people, I serve because I love God and love people, I am kind because I love God and love people, I forgive because I love God and love people.

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

Everything we do I'll write it again, EVERYTHING we do we do it out of an expression of love for Jesus and love for others.