Well hello friends,
This is Mark Gludman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk-in-docs.
This is Towards the Light,
An Advent Journey,
Day 20.
Today we're going to reflect on what it means to practice generosity.
Now I honestly think that generosity is one of the most powerful ways that we reflect the heart of God.
Now hear me right,
Generosity often has the idea in our heads that we give massively,
That it's a huge gesture,
But generosity doesn't have to be grand in that way.
Generosity is about sharing from what we've been entrusted with,
And in doing so we align ourselves with God's own nature,
A God who gives freely,
Without hesitation,
And without conditions attached.
In Luke 6 and verse 38,
Jesus says give and it will be given to you,
A good measure,
Pressed down,
Shaken together,
And running over,
Will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use,
It will be measured to you.
Now hear me right,
This is not a formula for material blessing as those who espouse a posterity doctrine might have you believe.
What it is,
Is a promise that living with generous hearts opens us up to the fullness of God's provision in every way that truly matters,
Particularly spiritually,
Emotionally,
And communally.
In fact here's a little challenge you might want to take into your own personal study of the scriptures.
I challenge you to find a miracle of Jesus that when it was performed,
One of the main things that miracle offered to the person who received it was a reconnection with the people in their community.
Every single miracle that Jesus performs creates a situation where the person who receives it is able to engage again in a society that because of their circumstance was either going to be pushed or was already pushed to the edges of society.
Jesus creates an opportunity for that person to be brought in.
This is how important that connection to one another,
Our emotions and our spiritual condition matters to God.
Paul Tillich once said,
He who receives must give for giving is the characteristic mark of living.
To live is to give,
Or as Sammy Hagar put it,
Give to live.
Generosity reminds us that we are interconnected,
That we belong to one another.
And when we give,
Not grudgingly but with joy,
We participate in God's work of healing and restoration and salvation by literally,
Continually bringing the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
During Advent,
We're reminded of the ultimate act of generosity,
God giving himself to us in the person of Jesus.
It's a love so abundant,
So unreserved,
That it redefines how we think about giving.
And remember,
This is a God who also gave salvation to all,
Asking nothing in return.
And that's why people buck that idea,
Because it's so audacious,
It's so offensive.
But that's what grace is,
Favor that is given whether we think we deserve it or not.
That is the depth of God's generosity,
So abundant,
So unreserved,
It redefines how we think about giving.
Generosity isn't merely an act,
It's a posture of heart,
An expression of gratitude for everything,
Everything that we have received from God so freely.
So I wonder,
How's God inviting you to practice generosity today?
Maybe it's in sharing your resources,
Giving your time,
Or offering a simple kindness to someone who needs it.
Sometimes,
Generosity looks like being fully present with someone,
Offering the gift of a listening ear,
Or a simple encouraging word.
So may you not give out of obligation,
But from the joy of sharing what God has so graciously and abundantly given to you.
May you see generosity not as a transaction,
But as a sacred act that connects you more deeply to God and to others.
May you discover that the more you give,
The more your heart expands to receive the abundance of God's love.
May you be a vessel of blessing,
Pouring out grace and kindness into the lives of those around you.
And as you go around your day,
Ask God to show you,
Where can your generosity make a difference today?
Whether it's a small gesture or a larger act of giving,
Trust that every offering given in love carries the light of Christ into the world.
And may grace,
Peace,
And love go with you every step,
Every action,
Every word of the way,
Today and every day.
Amen.
