Generosity when it doesn't make Sense Posted June 18, 2009 by Aaron Story

Heading into this summer, there are plenty of logical reasons why to refrain from the normal Christian generosity. While our country may be turning the corner financially (or not), I find no shortage of temptations and daily bad news to potentially cause us to refrain from living as a normal generous disciple of Jesus Christ. And potentially lead us to question what sense it makes to engage in this generous lifestyle.

Often, Christians interpret Scriptures regarding spiritual gifts and abilities (Rom. 12, Eph. 4, 1 Corinth. 12) to be used for personal gain, personal blessings, etc first. And fiercely independent American Christians use “my gifts” for my personal gain first. This type of selfishness often leads people, who posture as externally all-together Christians, to extreme selfishness and greed.

The individual gifts, blessings, resources, and abilities are given to us from the Lord to be generously expressed to both: build our church communities and serve our neighbors with first priority. What’s left is what’s for us. A maturing disciple of Christ embraces that EVERYTHING from the Lord is first for the gain of others (Phil. 2:3-4).

Consistent generosity of a disciple models an understanding that:

• God Owns Everything and We Are His Managers- Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
• Our Hearts Follow Our Money- Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
• God is Generous- Matthew 7:11, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

The lifestyle of Christianity isn’t to be a list of dos and don’ts but daily recognition of the Gospel’s work in our lives. Generous living is a clear mark of a maturing follower of Jesus Christ; one set free from slavery to sin. An area of sin is clearly greed. And for the Christian who doesn’t embrace this truth risk both their heart and the full impact of the Gospel through them.

At Indy Metro Church, it’s the consistent generosity of possessions, abilities, and resources of many devoted people which keep us in mission as a multi-cultural, multi-generational church committed to redefining the normals of the Christian lifestyle in our culture. Generosity that models it’s not about us anymore but others first. Even when it doesn’t make sense.

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