BE DIFFERENT; Be Generous
At her 4th birthday party, during a game of pass the parcel, Lucy gave her sticker to a friend who didn’t like the one she got.
What do you think?
What would you do in each of this situations? It is more for you to think about rather than to discuss, but you’re welcome to chat about it if you’d like to.
Would you lend your eraser to someone in your class after they had lost your other one just yesterday?
Would you include the annoying kid in your game at lunch when they asked you if they could play?
Would you share your money with a friend so that they could go to the corner shop with you to buy something yummy?
When it is time to choose a bowl of ice cream, which one do you want? The biggest one of course!
Some times you will find yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by selfish people, who are all out to get as much for themselves as possible. Here, it is really hard to be generous. The people around you will take everything you’ve got. You instinctively want to protect your belongings. There is an attitude of scarcity - where everyone is thinking about things running out, of not having enough, of protecting what is yours.
When you are surrounded by people with generous hearts, then you will always be having people offering you things - meals, some help, some company, gifts, even second hand things. Living in a place where there is an attitude of abundance, where everyone is thinking about how much they have been blessed with, and how there is always ample to go around - it is much easier to develop a generous heart.
But what does God say about all of this? What kind of heart does he want us to have?
Bible Passage: Luke 6:38
If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.
Bible Passage: Matthew 5:38-42
“You know that you have been taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.”
I believe that this is the hardest thing Jesus asks us to do in the whole bible. This and maybe forgiving those who have caused significant harm to us.
Jesus is not commanding us to act fairly, he is telling us to be generous. He wants us to give and not expect anything in return. Jesus wants us to go above and beyond. He wants us to do EXTRA.
The Israelites had enemies from Rome living in their country, forcing them to do certain things. The roman law said that Roman soldiers could force the Israelites to carry their things from one milestone to another - one mile. Jesus is asking the Israelites to do extra, and to walk an extra mile.
When Jesus commands us to be generous, he is not just talking about with our money. He is talking about being generous with our time, being generous with our love, being generous with our homes, being generous with our friendship, being generous with our hearts. Anything we can give, we can always give extra.
Story Time!
Elisabeth Elliot was a very generous woman. She studied the bible at college with her husband and in the 19560s they moved to a remote area in Ecuador to tell the tribes there about Jesus. These people had had no contact with anyone from the outside world and so when Elisabeth’s husband and a few other men made contact, the villagers killed them.
With Elisabeth’s husband dead, what did she then go and do? She continued in their work, made contact and helped many of the tribe come to know about Jesus.
Elisabeth forgave and gave above and beyond. She actually gave the most precious information of all - the knowledge of Jesus.
Being generous doesn’t have to start big like Elisabeth, by devoting and risking your life. Start small while you are small and grow your generosity as you grow.
Question Time!
What kind of things do you have that you can give away generously?
What is something that you can do today that can show generosity to others? Try and to that today and every day!
