I have always thought that I was a rather generous person. I love to give. Love to invite people to things. I love to make people feel welcome in my home and share the space I have. I love to host people and show them around the place I live and explore the area with them. I sometimes go out of my way to give people what they like, or to do something for them. I give quite some money away, and I struggle with the fact that I can’t give more due to my limited funds.
Doesn’t that sound quite generous?
I’d like to think so. But I also sound quite self-righteous, don’t I?
I do good. Yes. I give. But does that justify generosity?
The Bible talks quite a bit about generosity and doing good. Hebrews 13:16 says that we should “not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:16 ESV) There are plenty of other verses, too. They talk about giving, giving to the poor, sharing what we have, and how we are more blessed as givers than we are as receivers.
One of several ways the Oxford Dictionary defines the word generousis “to show kindness towards others”. It also tells us that the word dates back to the 16th century, and stems from Latin words that mean something along the lines of “noble birth”.
Noble birth.
We are of noble birth. We are generous. Generosity is in our genes. Gene is in gene-rosity.
Our gene is God. The King. We are sons and daughters of the King.
We are of noble birth.
We are gene-reous!
If generosity is in our genes, then generosity should flow through every part of our body. If it flows through our body, it flows through our heart, soul, and mind, through everything.
Everything.
That word: everything. Generosity flows through everything.
And I wonder: Does it? Does generosity flow through everything in my life?
I think about that moment when I thought that person was walking to slow in front of me. The moment when I thought that person could dress better. The moment when I made an assumption about my friend that wasn’t true. The moment when I said I’d forgive but really I still carried it in my heart.
All these moments, not very generous.
And in this assessment, I am not being generous with myself, either.
But we are children of the King of generosity! We are of noble birth. We can, and should be generous with people around us, and with ourselves. Not just with material things, but in everything.
Because His generous grace covers us, and He gives us abundantly.
We are of noble birth, we are children of the King, and therefore, we can be, and should be generous, because it is in our genes to do so.
