I’ve been thinking a lot recently about generosity. It’s been sparked by the sermon series we’re doing at St. George’s – Radically Generous, where we’ve been talking about living generous lives – not just with our pocketbooks, but with our time, our affections, and in our relationships.
On Sunday, Ray David said this,
“Real, radical generosity can only come out of a full heart.”
This got me thinking; what does a full heart look like? Where does it come from? How do we get it?
Contentment
First of all, real generosity is something that overflows, not leaks. By this, I mean that it spills out of an already contented heart. A heart that has already been fully satisfied and whose needs have already been perfectly met. We can’t live a generous life until we have been filled with the wellspring of God’s generous love.
Let’s look at some very familiar words from the psalms,
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:1,5b
“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you… My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:3,5
These are words of a man with a full heart. His cup overflows with God’s goodness, His soul has been fully satisfied. He is entirely convinced that God has and will provide for all of his needs – both physical and spiritual, because God is real, sovereign, and He loves him. The same is true for us. God is always working for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28). He is sovereign over our lives (Psa 139:16).
Do Not Worry
Here’s what Jesus said;
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:30-33
God provides. We lack nothing when we seek His kingdom, because God Himself is what satisfies our souls. Often what keeps us from generosity is worry for lack of physical, emotional, and spiritual sustenance – whether it be material goods, or affirmation of our own self-worth. If we find our ultimate sustenance in these things (material goods, human relationships), then what happens if we generously give these things away? We’ll be empty. But what if the source of our sustenance was a wellspring so boundless that it could never diminish or grow empty? Then we could feel free to give generously without the fear of losing what we have. Our generosity would overflow from our hearts, never draining us of our most precious resource.
This doesn’t mean that generosity doesn’t have a cost, but it costs us something that is always replenished by the One who satisfies our souls.
You may be thinking – “This sounds all nice and good, but I feel pretty drained right now. My soul is not satisfied. How do I experience God’s sustenance in my life?”
1. Renewal of the Mind
“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Romans 12:2b
First of all, we need a mindset change. Ask God to transform your mind to see what it is that truly sustains you. God created everything in existence and sustains the universe – including you. You can trust Him with your life. Stop trusting in money, and human relationships. They will never bring you abiding contentment. Treasure what actually has value – God himself. He is a firm foundation for your life (2 Tim 2:19) and He will never be shaken (Heb 12:28). We were created to enjoy Him forever. You don’t need anything else other than Him.
2. Find Your Worth In Him
You don’t need human relationships, or a full bank account, to give you self-worth. Your worth comes from the fact that the God of the Universe, who knows you through and through, has called you to be His child (Eph 1:5). He chose you, worts and all, because He loves you. When we stop using people and money as our support-system for our self-worth, it frees us up to generously approach our relationships and bank accounts.
Our friendships are not primarily for our own encouragement (although the Lord does often use them for this purpose); they are for serving others.
Our bank accounts are not primarily for our own financial security; they are for blessing others.
When we find our self-worth in who we are in God, than we are freed from the trap of trying to impress others and feed our low self-esteem. We can live generously, because the things we give away no longer define us.
3. Seek First His Kingdom
Seek God. Spend time with Him. Ask Him to fill your heart to overflowing with His love.
- When you go to work, remember that your job doesn’t define you; you are defined by God – who is the lover of your soul.
- When you are worried about your finances, don’t panic, but wisely and whole-heartedly trust in the God who has promised to supply all of your needs (Phil 4:19).
- When you spend time with your friends, look for ways to encourage and give, rather than using your friendships for selfish gain. Foster new friendships, with those who are needy and friendless.
We can only give away what we have been given, and we have been given a goldmine in Christ; a fountain of love and security that will never run dry. Let’s eagerly pray for full hearts that overflow with generosity to this broken, needy world.
“God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19
Amen.
