“The Woman that I see lives generously, opening her heart to ever-increasing capacity for the kingdom of God.”
This past Sunday, Stovall talked about being generous in the One Prayer series. (Which, by the way, is going great — check out their website @ oneprayer.com to keep up with devotionals, etc.) I love the idea of a generous life! I think sometimes we narrow down generosity to money, but generosity starts in the heart. It’s an attitude that overflows from being unselfish in our appraoch to life. Dictionary.com gives us a great picture of generosity:
“Liberal in giving or sharing; free from meanness or smallness of character;large, abundant, ample; rich or strong in flavor; fertile.”
What this means to me is that a generous-hearted person sees their life in terms of what they have rather than in terms of what they don’t have. They see it in terms of what they can offer rather than in terms of what they can take. I also love that one of the definitions of “generous” has to do with a strong flavor. Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. The Message Bible states it like this: we are to bring out the God-flavors in this life and in the world around us! (Ok, that’s a paraphrase, but it’s the basic idea.)
I really believe that generosity is one of the things that sets us apart as Christians. It keeps us big-hearted towards others. It keeps us looking outward instead of being consumed with ourselves. It keeps us thankful for what we have. I’ve often said that I believe generosity is living with an open heart toward God and an open hand toward others. I will also add what Sovall said yesterday when he closed his message:
“You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”
6 Comments
Kerri,
I ran across this in an online devotional…….seems to fit so well……
If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries,
amusements, etc., is up to the standard
common among those with the same income
as our own, we are probably giving away too
little. If our charities do not at all pinch or
hamper us, I should say they are too small.
There ought to be things we should like to do
and cannot because our charitable
expenditure excludes them. — C. S. Lewis
Hey Kate — I love CS lewis, so it’s no wonder your quote resonated with me immediately. Thanks for the insight. I love it!
Kerri, I literally laughed out loud in joy when I saw this email alert come into my mailbox. Just this morning I said to myself, “Wow, what perfect timing to blog on #4 from the Woman that I See…Stovall just talked about generosity on Sunday!” Then I see that you have blogged with your usual engaging eloquence exactly what I wanted to say today…about generosity truly being about every facet of our lives, not just finances or ministry service. I am endeavoring to be more generous with my praise with my children, more generous with my smiles and laughter, more generous with my attention and “engaged listening” with everyone around me…so, so many ways to embrace the generous life! Hey…sure do love you!! :c)
Pastor Kerri,
Thanks for challenging our limited perspective on what being a generous person really means… love the insight and am challenged by your words!!!
I always learn so much from your writing:)
thank you! so, so much for the book title. i’ve googled so many words in search of a book like that to no avail. thank you, thank you! =D i found it on amazon for $3.22+! i’m so happy!=)
hey, i really like your blog. i’ll be back. =)
Lea — I read your blog post on generosity and LOVED it! Thanks for bringing your perspective.
Kassie — glad you liked the post. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Wanita — I am glad you liked that book. I usually substitute the fish with chicken. Happy cooking!
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