Hilarious generosity!?

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

⁶ Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ⁷ You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” ⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹ As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

This was the heading for this passage in the Passion Translation. It’s the concept that we can never outgive God, but it is fun trying. We can be generous with our time, our love, our stuff and everything else to those around us because God has first been generous to each of us. God loves each one of us beyond anything we can imagine, and nothing can separate us from that love. He has shown us this by sending Jesus to stand in our place to take the punishment we were due.

This passage is a reminder of how generous God has been and continues to be. We have a choice – we can believe we are blessed and share that blessing with those around us or we can be small in our thinking and hold tight to every single thing we have. In the midst of hard times, it is difficult to believe we are blessed, and that God is overwhelmingly generous but it is good to try. Paint or draw yourself a picture of the blessing that Jesus is in your life and stick it somewhere you can see it regularly to remind you that you can be grateful and then you can be generous to those around you.

Dear Lord – firstly thank you for your generosity to me – the love you have for me, the blessings you have placed in my world, the people you have given me to love and those who share your love with me. Help me to remember each and every day that you love me more than I can imagine and that you are generous in every way. Help me to live my life full of gratitude for you and for everyone in my life. Thanks. Amen.

Written by Therese Manning

You may find this Bible Project video on generosity helpful.