Giving is the foundation of human existence.
The Creator gives life to creation.
A man and a woman give themselves to each other in a deeply intimate act that brings forth life.
Moms give birth to babies.
Ideas give birth to realities.
Justice gives birth to freedom.
Without giving...there would be no:
Forgiving
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Easter
Christianity
Faith
For all of the above are wrapped up in God so loving the world that God gave Jesus. And Jesus gave his life for us.
Without giving...
The hungry would never be fed.
Those held captive would never be freed.
Those living in underserved or war-torn countries would never be healed.
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Without giving life would not exist.
Giving is the essence of what it means to be human.
And it is certainly the hallmark of one who follows Jesus.
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Ironically, talk of giving often upsets and even angers Christians. I say ironically because Christians should be the most cheerfully generous people of all because they know first hand the lavish generosity of God's grace.
And yet, for a variety of reasons the topic of giving touches a nerve in many Christians.
Here's a counter-intuitive thought: Might that anger be another of God's gifts? Might it be that that anger is God's way of saying that our resistance to generosity is getting in the way of a full, rich life? That we're robbing ourselves of cheerfulness?
Might it be possible that the God who always gives is generously rescuing us from the false trappings of me-ism and consumerism, setting us free for the life-giving, cheerfulness-producing, power of generosity?
I've said it many times before. I've never, ever met a crabby giver. There is no downside to generosity.
And yet, for a variety of reasons the topic of giving touches a nerve in many Christians.
Here's a counter-intuitive thought: Might that anger be another of God's gifts? Might it be that that anger is God's way of saying that our resistance to generosity is getting in the way of a full, rich life? That we're robbing ourselves of cheerfulness?
Might it be possible that the God who always gives is generously rescuing us from the false trappings of me-ism and consumerism, setting us free for the life-giving, cheerfulness-producing, power of generosity?
I've said it many times before. I've never, ever met a crabby giver. There is no downside to generosity.
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1.3%-2.3%: Average Lutheran Giving Percentage
18.1%: Average Tip by Americans
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For Jesus, giving is never about demand, or guilt, or coercion. It's always about response to God's lavish, generous grace.
Hence my question in my last blog post: How would your check book answer the question: Do I really believe God loves me?
Real Christianity is rooted in giving. Real Christianity is built on generosity. On God's giving. On God's generosity.
The Spirit of Generosity, Jesus, lives in us.
That means that you have been filled with lavish generosity.
Jesus invites you to be who you are. To let that generosity have its way in you. To be a dangerously good person who, in response to God's lavish grace, is turning the world upside down with outlandish giving.
Let me paraphrase an old quote I used on gratitude in a recent sermon:
That's what Real Christianity looks like.
That means that you have been filled with lavish generosity.
Jesus invites you to be who you are. To let that generosity have its way in you. To be a dangerously good person who, in response to God's lavish grace, is turning the world upside down with outlandish giving.
Let me paraphrase an old quote I used on gratitude in a recent sermon:
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If you've forgotten the language of generosity
You will never be on speaking terms with cheerfulness
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That's what Real Christianity looks like.
