God’s work in our lives as Christians is to transform us more and more into the likeness of Christ, realigning our priorities so that we both rely on and live for Him rather than ourselves. One of the powerful ways He does this is by challenging us to change our relationship with our time, our talent, and our treasures, to recognize that it all comes from Him and it has been given to us so that we may build His kingdom on earth by sharing it with others. Christ freely gave of His time and gifts – and ultimately His very life to redeem us – and the Bible calls us to live similar lives of generosity towards those around us so that through us, they may see Jesus.
God knows the power possessions can have over us. My own father has often remarked that the things you own ultimately end up owning you. When we are focused on collecting and hoarding for ourselves the resources God has provided, we miss the fundamental message of the Gospel, which is that a gift of inestimable value was given to us – unconditionally and at no cost to us. If that gift does not prompt us to turn around and share what we have with those who are in need, we have to ask ourselves whether we really are followers of Christ. One of Jesus’ closest friends put it bluntly in 1 John 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” Merely talking the religious talk is easy (and cheap) – just look at the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-23 – but generosity with possessions is evidence of a heart that truly has been transformed by an experience with Jesus and displays a faith in His promise to meet our every need.
God ultimately has a two-fold purpose in calling us to generosity. The first is to free us from other things that draw us away from relying fully on Him. Our money and possessions lose their grip on us when we hold them with an open hand and willingly offer them up for God’s purposes. His second purpose is to equip the church to live out its calling of ministering to a world that needs to know it has an all-sufficient Savior. In the midst of this work, which is enabled by our gifts, we receive the blessing of seeing God at work transforming the lives of others, and we experience the grace of God at work in our own lives. We then become part of the ongoing story of the early church in Acts 4:32-34, where the grace of God was present and visible in them because of their generosity: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.”
God’s call for generosity is not about demanding a bigger amount from us but creating a better heart in us.
God’s call for generosity is not about demanding a bigger amount from us but creating a better heart in us. Our generosity not only helps others and points them to Christ but it also changes our focus from ourselves and our own efforts to God’s purposes for us in His kingdom, all while teaching us how to rest in the sufficiency of His promises.
