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Way #11: We are generous with what we have, sharing freely with others.
MEMORY VERSE:
“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
II Cor. 9:7
For two years in a row, the Colorado Springs are where I live had devastating fires. Many houses were destroyed and families displaced, and it was difficult to watch many struggle during that season. However, the situation also let us see generosity expressed in amazing ways.
One man’s story was shared on the local news. He did not sit home and wonder what to do, but took initiative to go out and buy gallons and gallons of water to give to those who had been waiting to be allowed to return and see their beloved homes after the area was cleared.
Others, too, showed the kind of community support that I have not experienced on a regular basis in our area. An estimated 1,000 people lined the streets outside of the Black Forest Fire command center one night to say thank you to the heroic firefighters, national guardsmen, police officers, and sheriff's deputies who had worked long hours, without sleep, to protect their homes.
Generosity is an expression of the way one sees him or herself.
Giving our time, love, consideration, and thoughtfulness to those surrounding us is one of the ways people are able to perceive the love of Christ, expressed through us. Everything we have belongs to God. Our possessions are not only for us to use, but for the service and provision of others. God entrusts us with resources so we will be good stewards of His provision in order to help others.
GENEROSITY, THEN, FLOWS FROM A PERSON WHO PERCEIVES HIMSELF AS A STEWARD OF GOD'S GIFTS.
During the fires, as we housed sweet family friends whose home was at times right in the center of the infrared map, we watched them as they lived what they had practiced--the joyful and humble trust of God.
One morning, as they heard of family friends who lost their home, their first response was to say, "What would most help this family? Let's give a gift card to Target, get their kids some new clothes, and visit them to cheer them up. They probably need a lot of support right now."
The heart of Jesus is to give whatever is required to save His beloved children. In our case, He had to give His all.
Generosity is caught when taught and modeled. It is learned when practiced. It plants seeds in the heart when, out of great thanksgiving to God for all that He has done, we give out of our resources to His kingdom causes and to others who are in need.
When we capture the reality of God's nature being extravagantly generous on our behalf, this character quality born in our lives and trained into the lives of our children reflects a love that will reach hearts.
Serving together is a wonderful way to train our children in generosity.
Practical ways we practiced giving as a family included:
*Serving meals at homeless shelters
*teaching children's Sunday School classes as a family or caring for children while single moms did Christmas shopping
*Helping with work days to serve the elderly, single moms, and those who were unable to mow their lawns
*Hosting missionaries in our home when they were on furlough and helping them gather goods to send back to the country in which they lived
*Gathering money weekly from the kids, storing it in a jar, and turning it into a check at a bank to send to the cause our family voted on after a period of time
*Making meals and decorating "love" cards for neighbors and those who were ill, in the hospital or had a loss in the family.
*Baking plates of cookies for new neighbors and visiting their home to say welcome.
*Stuffing shoe boxes full of toys and books for overseas friends who did not have material goods.
There are so many ways to give, but making it a habit, taking the time to plan it is the key to seeing the root of generosity grow in the culture of our lives and our family's lives.
