Being generous is the key

In the three readings, Leviticus, Corinthians and Matthew, we are being encouraged to be generous in ways we may not have thought about. We limit the concept of generosity when we think of it only as the physical act of giving. It is also an attitude of mind and spirit; part of a loving nature, such as when we give someone the benefit of the doubt, when we give our time, talents and energy, and when we “fore”-give.

Generosity is an attribute of God and is listed as a fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22]. Paul reminded the folk in Corinth that God’s Spirit lives in us. So we are able to be generous as a result. “For all things are yours…-- all belong to you”     [1 Corinthians 3:21,22] and in the story of the two sons [Luke 15:31] the Father told the older son, “All that I have is yours.” You can’t be given more than that!

The common theme through our readings for today is God’s call for us to be generous in our attitudes. God doesn’t call us to be what God is not. It is not just about being generous with our physical belongings and our wealth. It is about being generous in every aspect of our lives; generosity of spirit, generosity in forgiveness, in giving of our time and skills and of the gifts we have received.

The ways in which we can behave with a generous attitude include treating people with disabilities with respect. It is interesting that three thousand years ago people were being urged not to treat deaf people as though they unintelligent. It is a problem they still have today. Often we are unsympathetic and impatient with people with this disability. It takes a generous attitude to listen patiently and to speak clearly when communicating with them.

A generous spirit allows us to not be judgemental and to forgive more easily. Having worked as a Prison Chaplain, I know that there is not much generosity shown towards criminals. As a society, we judge them harshly and call for longer sentences rather than work to eliminate the circumstances that lead to criminality.

From Matthew, turning the other cheek, giving your cloak as well as your coat, going the extra mile, giving to beggars and lending to borrowers are all generous acts.

When God gave us freewill, God must have known that we would make a mess of things, that we would choose unwisely and selfishly and so God generously planned before to give us the freedom to make new starts. This is ‘fore-give-ness’, the gift enables us to get on with life without the burden of guilt.

Many of our prayers lack an understanding of, or trust in God’s generosity. We may plead over and over for God to give us something when we could have a generous attitude to God and trust that God will not withhold any good thing from us if it is within God’s ability to give it. God constantly shows a generous attitude towards us. Let’s take hold of the promise from Paul [1 Cor.3:21b-23]. “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.” Because of God’s generosity, we have abundantly more than we could ask for or even think of.

As we love because God first loved us, so may we be generous in all aspects of life.

(REv Julianne Parker)