Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 5 of “Compelled – Living the Value of Extreme Generosity” (LISTEN HERE).
“Every morning, we wake up loved by a good God who wants what’s best for us.”
This is the opening statement of a e-book on biblical generosity (see link below). It struck me how many days I wake up NOT thinking that. It’s not that I think that God is not a good God or don’t believe that he wants what’s best for us, but I often wake up thinking, “What do I have to do today? What is on my schedule to accomplish?” My feet often hit the floor with little thought to this thought.
Just think of those two phrases for a minute.
Every day, we do wake up loved by a good God.
Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Every day, our good God wants what’s best for us.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
With these truths in mind as we begin our day, we realize that all we have and all we do is a response, an act of worship, for what God has done for us.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Generosity is part of our life of worship. We realize all of our life and all of our being and all of our possessions are available to us to engage in a life of worship – honoring God with all of our life.
Honestly sometimes our lives become compartmentalized. We worship on Sunday mornings between 10-11am. After that we are engaged in life, in work, in school, in chores, in meals, in …. And the list goes on. We see it as obligation, responsibility, or “real life.” We return on Sundays to worship. The cycle continues.
Let’s ask the Spirit of God to change the cycle and instill in us a new habit and a new pattern.
Let all of our lives be worship! Let each moment of every day and every activity of every day be a response to the goodness and grace of God.
When this perspective takes over, it becomes easier to be generous with our time, our abilities, and our resources…because when we are generous, it is a worship response to the generosity and goodness of God.
“When we give generously and sacrificially, it’s not because God needs anything, but because we want to show our love for him. Giving is an expression of obedience, yes, but also of gratitude, trust, and increasing joy” (10 Days of Biblical Generosity).
You are loved by a good God who always wants and gives us what is best for us. Every day we get to live and give in heartfelt worship to our God who loves us and gives his best for us.
Apply: Start each day for the next week with the thought offered above. What do you notice is different when this thought and truth begins your day?
Here’s the link to the 10 day devotional. It offers some good thoughts for reflection and prayer on generosity. https://www.ncfgiving.com/library/#resource-10-day-devotional
Prayer: Lead every day you give me Lord to be a response of generosity to your goodness and grace, AMEN.