Be Generous
April 2, 2008
By Dorothy Rugg
When you think of the word "generosity," what
comes to your mind? Do you think of someone special who has been generous to
you? Do you think of how you have been generous?
Scripture tells us in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be
given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over
will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you" (NKJV). And then in 2 Corinthians 9:6,7,
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he
purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful
giver."
Do you find yourself to be a generous person? Maybe you
think you can only be generous with money, but there are so many more ways to
be a generous person. You can be generous with your time given in service to
the Lord and to others. God has given you the abilities you have,
so you need to be using them for His glory. You can be generous in love,
in patience, in kindness, in endurance, in forgiveness, and in faithfulness.
I love to see the smiles on my husband, children and
grandchildren’s faces when they receive an unexpected present from me. It gives
me great pleasure to do things for others. Just think how pleased God must be
when we His children learn from His Word, apply the Scripture to our hearts,
and then live generously for others.
Today might be a good day to say a simple prayer like this:
Father God, thank You for all You have provided for me. Thank You for the
generosity You have shown to me. I ask that You help me to be generous to my
family, my friends, my neighbors, my church, my community. Show me how I can be
generous. Guide me and lead me in Your paths of righteousness. I want to be a
generous person who shares Your love with those around me. Thank You for
hearing and answering my prayers. In Your precious Name I pray, amen.
— James and Dorothy Rugg pastor Mill City AG in Dalton,
Pa.
