Generosity
Making someone's day by giving something away
WEEK 1
We start the month with an insight from James 1:17a: “Every
good and perfect gift is from God.” (NIrV) Every good thing in our lives comes
from God, starting with the gift of Jesus. When we take the time to reflect on
all that God has given us, we can respond by being generous to others.
Bottom Line: God gives us good things. Some of the best gifts
in life don’t come with wrapping paper. Sometimes the best gifts in life are
free because they were thought out and made especially for us. We have all
received good things because of God’s generosity. From the air we breathe to
the things we enjoy in our everyday lives, everything good comes from God.
WEEK 2
In week 2, we read about a miracle found in 1 Kings 17:7-16.
During a time of drought, the prophet Elijah visited a widow in Zarephath. This
woman barely had anything left for her family, let alone for him. Yet, she
trusted God and gave everything she had to Elijah . . . and God provided for
them above and beyond what they expected.
Bottom Line: You always have something to give. Can you
think of a time when someone gave something to you or shared with you, even
when they didn’t have much to give? Just the fact that they thought of you made
their gift so much more meaningful. When we trust God with what we have, God is
able to do more than we can think or imagine.
WEEK 3
In week 3, we take a look at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:7.
Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, encouraging them to give. When we
give, it pleases God—not just because of what we give, but because of the way
we give it. When we give with a good attitude, we can help others see what God
is like.
Bottom Line: Give with a good attitude. Have you ever shared
something really nice with someone, but you didn’t do it with the best
intentions? Maybe, if you were honest, you really didn’t want to share what you
had in the first place. Our attitude makes a big difference when we give. It
doesn’t matter what kind of gift you give if your heart isn’t in the right
place. As Paul explained, God loves it when we give cheerfully!
WEEK 4
We close out the month in 1 John 3:16-18. John was writing
to a group of believers to encourage them and remind them about Jesus’ love for
them. John described how Jesus gave the greatest example of love when He gave
His life for us. To love IS to give. Whether we give our time, our talent, or
our things, we can show the love of Jesus when we give to those in need.
Bottom Line: Jesus showed us how to give. Giving can be
difficult sometimes. Maybe we want to give the very best gift . . . or maybe we
feel like we don’t have the right resources to be able to give. But, when we
look to Jesus, we can learn what generosity is all about. Because of Jesus’
example, we can learn how to give and invite