Making Room for What Matters Most

Week 3 – Generosity

Breath Prayer

(Breathe in) Grant me a generous heart. (Breathe out) That I may give with joy.

In Week 3 of Lent we turn our attention to the practice of generosity. It has been said, “We are most like God, when we are generous.” To give out of our plenty or out of our want is a response to the outrageous generosity we have received from God.

Throughout church tradition, Lent has focused on three main spiritual practices – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer and fasting are disciplines that connect us more deeply with God and purify our hearts.  Almsgiving is an overflow of our life within. It is an outward expression of love that seeks to meet the tangible needs of our neighbors. Almsgiving demonstrates God’s work of restoration in a broken world.

“As we give from our fullness to support those we do not owe, we imitate the lovingkindness of a merciful God who himself supplies the needs of those to whom he owes no debt. The habitual act of giving to meet the deepest earthly needs of others is no substitute for the proclamation of the gospel, but it just may serve as an ongoing reminder to Christians about the nature of the gospel we proclaim.” – taken from the article The Neglected Discipline of Almsgiving

Tis the most absolute and indispensable duty of a people of God to give bountifully and willingly for the supply of the wants of the needy. –  Jonathan Edwards

Scripture Reading and Reflection

• What do you learn about generosity in the following passages?
• What phrase or sentence is most powerful to you? Why do you think that is?
• As you read about the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8, how would you describe their community? What does Paul’s description of the Macedonian church being extremely poor and yet giving with “rich generosity” tell us about the meaning of generosity?
• What kind of character qualities and/or habits could be formed out of an ongoing practice of generosity?

Proverbs 11:24-25

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Matthew 6:1-4

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy [translated from: when you give alms], do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

2 Corinthians 8:1-9

¹And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. ²In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. ⁸ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

Prayer

Father, all that I have comes from you. Help me to see my resources as gifts to be shared. I trust you to provide for me as I seek to grow in generosity. Open my eyes to the needs of the people around me. Give me a heart that is generous, joyful, and compassionate knowing that as I bless others, I am blessing you. May all that I do and all that I say be a reflection of your Son’s humility and abundant love. Amen.

Making Room

• Participate in the Generosity Challenge – Be sure to listen to Sunday’s Sermon to find out more!
• Pray that God will make you aware of how you can use your time, talent, or treasure to specifically meet the needs of those around you.
• Refer to our Love Your Neighbor Wall at church for more ideas or access it online on Commonway’s homepage.

For Families

By Christy Close

As you involve your families in the practice of giving, consider these ideas:

• Clean out a closet, toy chest, or dresser and donate items in good condition to an appropriate local organization.
• Shop together for food items to donate to a local food pantry.
• If your family gives a regular allowance, talk with your children about setting aside a portion to give.  Keep in mind with young children that the exact percentage isn’t the focus. The focus is the discipline of regular giving.

When given the opportunity, remind them of our breath prayer for the week:

(Breathe in) Grant me a generous heart. (Breathe out) That I may give with joy.