By Christopher Dryden
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 4:33-35 ESV
Firstly, a word on generosity. It is very useful to get a dictionary definition for sure but indulge me with a picture of generosity. Someone is generous when they delight in enriching others with the good they have in them without restraint or compulsion. Generosity isn’t about how much you have, but how you delight in enriching others with what you have. Generosity isn’t reckless but, as the opposite of stinginess, generosity throws arms wide open to embrace others with the good things in life rather than miserly hoarding whatever they can get their grubby paws on. Generosity – bright, beaming, reaching out in giving.
God’s response to the rebellion of humanity is through His Son to make a way to return to Him who has His arms wide open. He is the father whose son who left home is welcomed back with a ring, a robe and a raucous celebration. This Father is generous. And recipients of this grace are blessed with this generosity of heart.
Luke reports in Acts how the amazing grace that saves also cultivates a community marked by generosity. Those filled with the Spirit were keen to share the news and share their lives with others. Those who embraced the good news expressed their gratitude with a generosity that saw a desire to meet the needs of those in the community by the means they had to hand. It was word and deed. It was teaching and lifestyle.
Outpouring is a great word to think about when looking at generosity. Even as we’re filled in with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, so there is an outpouring. This generosity of spirit does not discriminate, it is not partial when it comes to the recipients of the kindness, goodness and graciousness of God. Even as God graced us who did not deserve it, so this grace leads us to be generous with everyone – especially those of the household of faith. This is why concepts like hospitals and schools – outpourings of desires to serve needs in the immediate community – are found in this community of grace. It’s a hallmark of those who have received this good news.
Is it evident in your church? Is it obvious among those who you do life? Sometimes even the busyness of ministry can get in the way of this degree of generosity. It’s good to be reminded from time to time just how richly we have received from God. Just how abundantly generous His grace is to us and as we recall it and experience it welling up in us, so we can identify opportunities to pour that out in acts of kindness, gifts of compassion, donations for necessities, contributions to causes that are financial and much more than that.
There’s a need for the world to see this level of generosity today, let’s pursue this for the glory of God.
Ask: Considering the description of how the early church operated, what role did grace have in the generosity?
Seek: What does generosity look like for you today and how do you express it?
Knock: Look out for opportunities to express the grace of God today in a generous spirit – generosity as much expressed as an attitude of heart as well as actions of giving.
(Upper Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash)
