2 Corinthians 9:8
"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
 |
When we hear a word like "generosity" in our consumeristic culture, it Is mega-loaded with pretext and instinct for us. Be aware that there are many other currencies of generosity besides money, and with much more weight and value. Yes, this "post-Christmas", as we help children write their "thank you" cards, we could measure great Auntie Mabel's generosity by whether she gave us £10 or £15 on the costa gift card, but we could also keep in mind the time she gave to the homeless by cooking their dinner in the church hall on the 25th, or by how slow she was to criticise the NHS (despite their numerous mistakes, impersonal and blundering treatment which exacerbated her ongoing illness - all of which have caused her extensive pain.) In our culture, truly selfless service is hugely countercultural. As we prepare for several mission updates and key advance areas for 2022, grasping this theme as we seek to project into the year (in the right frame of mind) will be pivotally helpful. We seek to do all things well for his glory and for this we need afresh to see his glory.
A message to Core Supporters... I am so grateful for your generosity, your heart for his hurting world, your heart to pray, continuing in prayer, sharing burdens, your readiness to hear, your capacity for others in the name of Christ. You are truly a wonderful group. My love for you grows as we share tears and joys together. This is a family of generosity, living under the overflowing generosity and provision of Christ - This is the best place to be, with people who look to be more like Christ in 2022 and I am deeply humbled and grateful to be a small part of it.
Generosity is a huge biblical theme, because it is a central thread in the character of God. At the heart of the Gospel is the God of unfathomable generosity.
though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
2 Cor 8:9
Notice some essentials:
1) This is Basic 101 Christianity, (foundational stuff..."For you know". Generosity is not complex, If you've received it you know it. Very often our problem of appropriate response is not that we don't know this, but that we don't want to be challenged by the reality of this generosity, the magnitude of it, because of the implications it will have on our reset instinct to live for ourselves.
2) Grace is foundational to the supreme revelation fo God in Jesus Christ. "the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ. We can't truly come to know Jesus Christ or come close to him without having to encounter his unbounded grace and unconditional love towards us. Put another way, if we say we are growing as Christians or in knowledge of God, that we are truly experiencing God - we can't be doing any of these things without experiencing his generosity, growing in it.
3) Perfect generosity is totally transformational when we meet it in Christ. The polarity of poverty and wealth are reversed in both Christ, and those who receive his generosity and respond appropriately. Paul plainly states, "the point is this: God loves a cheerful giver" (2 cor 9:6)
4) Note that biblical definitions of "wealth" are far wider than cash. We may measure our generosity to God's people (2 Cor 9:1-15 "the ministry to the saints") purely in monetary value, but it is not how God evaluates our love for his people. Grace filled living has manifold implications. It includes, readiness, zeal, submission, willingness, abounding avenues of service and abounding effort / consistency of intent in service. It requires longing and praying, and above all excessive, overflowing thankfulness and praise (9:16)
What is to be your true expression of generosity this Christmas and into 2022?
Here are 4 possibilities for consideration ?
A) ALLOW CHRIST TO BE YOUR FULL AND ONLY TRUE TREASURE THIS CHRISTMAS and into new year. We receive Christ unreservedly by allowing him to open up our hearts unconditionally to all he has for us. The binary truth is that we cannot accept or be blessed the fullness of who Christ is and what he has for us, unless we cancel being full of ourselves.
Consider the rich young guy who ruled others full of his own status, religious achievement and ability (Luke 18: 18-30 ) Did he walk away depressed because what Jesus asked was too hard for him, or because he didn't really see that the true treasure he walked away from (Jesus himself) was bigger than anything he already had? Consider the joy even a blind beggar can have, and how it impacts many, when he meets and accepts Jesus (Luke 18:35- 43)
If you want joy, contentment, and ongoing eternal life bubbling up into all parts of your life - impacting many...consider making Jesus Christ your priority over the next few days. Time alone with him... listening to him... hearing his love and priorities for your life, may seem a costly step in a cash rich, time poor world, but it is such a no brainer deal when you see what is on offer. May it eventually involve your cash or change priorities when you look at your online banking ? Undoubtedly... but that is just a small portion of the real, eternal, big life, relational issues at stake.
To GOD you are not defined by cash, but infinitely more precious. What he gives to reconnect with you cannot be measured on any balance sheet. His infinite love, and perfect sacrifice for us will take eternal comprehension and not be exhausted. Each day on earth, if fuels life to the full, the presence of God with us - this is true treasure!
B) ALLOW CHRIST TO OPEN YOUR EYES TO YOUR POVERTY: By seeing again (or for the first time) how much this world, and how much we personally need Christ... the door to spiritual riches opens up. Ask him to lovingly show you where your life is heading on a wrong sinful trajectory, or where your heart has become hard... where you have become a relational culture de sac, you will not regret the consequences and transformation this will bring.
C) ALLOW CHRIST TO OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE POVERTY OF OTHERS: In most non consumeristic cultures (across the world) the greatest expression of generosity is to accept someone into your home. This is acceptance on the level of adoption, membership into the family, and it is why in the gospel of Luke it plays such a big part of Jesus' identity and life. Allowing others to come to us in our privatised culture is transformational and countercultural. Jesus is criticised for it of course (Luke 7:34), but who Jesus eats with and how big his generosity is ...shows no boundaries. How big is the love of our God? Nothing can exclude us from being included in his global mission of grace other than our personal rejection of him, and his priorities.
As you look at the UK scene this Christmas/ New Year, notice its poverty. You will see it in discontentment, it's political, relational and societal dysfunctionality, inability to connect people in lasting deep meaningful ways., the level of relational competence of those who lead our nation. Consider how much false hope causes people to chase any source of hope they can find. Consider the need of / lack of access to true (unconditional, multigenerational, multicultural) community and how people have hankered after true relational kindness this Christmas. Consider the rise in poor mental health and rocketing suicide rates. Consider the many areas where no-one wants to plant a church. Consider all the areas where churches are present but have settled for hunkered down (non missional, monocultural) self serving existence. Is our nation spiritually relationally poor? Does it need the development of a gospel church or two? Don't we need to open our hearts more to those without Christ, and support those in frontier UK mission better? Are you being a tribal separatist (exacerbating this issue) or generous hearted gospel hearted individual who HIGHLY treasures those who are slightly different but proclaim true treasure in Christ? (Phil 1:18).
D) CONSIDER HOW MUCH YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, and how this should transform our world view and relational view of others who fail.
- Luke 7:36-50: A marginalised women, with poverty in all aspects of life (relationally, identity (no name), self respect, personal history (known bad reputation)) is unconditionally welcomed and transformed by Christ and what he gives/ what she goes away with. As her identity is poured out over Jesus, his identity sends her away commissioned and identified by grace.
- Luke Generosity of heart towards others is bigger than we think, when we start living in response to his heart for us. cf Romans 14. Psalm 103.
If we see this and allow God to even grow our comprehension of his past grace (what he has already shown us) , we will not minimise the magnitude of grace as it outworks in our lives, and we set our trajectory for future life.
God prioritises the poor, and marginalised. From Genesis to Revelation the heart and priorities of God do not change, He and His purposes of eternal redemption are perfectly driven by relational Grace.
May people find a home in our Christlike unconditional welcome of grace this Christmas, may our hearts be warm even if gas is too expensive for our homes. God grow in us your generosity. Help us comprehend how rich we are in Christ. Help us to know your blessing as we seek like you to give rather than receive.
2 Corinthians 9:8
"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
