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Generosity Devotions

Entering the holiday season, we prepare to be and communicate with those we love. If you are like me, we often look for something special to give. The notion of generosity is weighty — memories for children are created as are fond memories of giving and receiving for the non-children. Each of us has received grace-gifts from God. Grace-gifts are not always tangible; they include, inter alia, your time, presence, talents, and love. 1 Peter 4:10 comes to mind, “10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another[a] as good stewards of the varied grace of God." (New English Translation, 2017).

In other words, our gifts are not an accident of genetics and experience. God knew what he was doing when he made each of us. Therefore, we are stewards of the gifts God has entrusted to us. Scripture, 1 Peter 4:10 and Romans 12:4–6, affirm that these grace-gifts are entrusted to us primarily for the benefit of others. Our gifts are not intended to be platforms where we seek and try to gain our sense of significance based on the reverence of people.

The praise of people is vicarious, precarious and ephemeral. Our real significance comes from God choosing us in Christ, gifting us, and deploying us for his purposes while we are on earth. We are given these gifts for the “progress and joy” of one another’s faith (New English Translation, 2017, Philippians 1:25; James 1:17). James 1:17 tells us that every good gift comes from above — from God in Heaven. The Bible is clear that, while God does not make our choice for us, he wants to give us good things.

In turn, God wants us to give and receive in the same spirit — with a desire for other people to experience good things because we love them. 1 Timothy 6:18–19 teaches that we are to be rich in good works, ready to share with others. This is a reminder that not all gifts are tangible. Sometimes, the best thing to give someone during the holiday season is your time, presence and love.

Romans 12:6 reminds us that God, through Christ, has given each of us gifts to use for his glory — honor. Let us engage the holidays using our gifts to shine the light on Jesus while bringing joy to other people. Give your grace-gifts, the intangible coupled with the tangible, such as your kind and gentle touch, singing or playing the piano, craftsmanship, or artisan. Be generous with others, and thereby let your light shine.

In the Spirit of Excellence …Seeking Grace,

Gerald Seals, Professor of Business; Pastor, Living Word Church and Fellowship

Father God, we embrace your presence and give thanks for your bestowed gifts. Strengthen us as your stewards of these gifts with the resolve to be givers of your love. Amen.

Which Line Are You Standing In?
A man who had just moved to a new town noticed two lines forming in the town square. One line was long, winding around the block, filled with tense, murmuring people. The other was short, with a few peaceful, smiling faces.
Assuming the long line offered something worthwhile—maybe a town hall event or a reward—he joined it without hesitation. As he waited, he overheard complaints about taxes, broken streets, and local issues. Surprised, he asked the person ahead, "What’s this line for?"
The person replied, "This is the complaint line. We’re here to tell the town officials what’s wrong."
Looking over to the shorter line, the man asked, “And what about that one?”
“That’s for the church,” they said, shrugging. “People go there to give thanks or say a prayer. Not many are interested in that.”
The man felt a pang of conviction. He had joined the line of complaints, thinking it offered something valuable, but he realized he’d overlooked the line leading to gratitude and peace.
 
Which line are you standing in?
Every day, we are given a choice about how we approach life. We can stand in the line of complaints, focused on what we lack, what’s frustrating, what isn’t going our way. Or, we can stand in the line of thanksgiving, looking toward God with gratitude for what He has done and continues to do.
In Luke 17, we read about the ten lepers who cried out to Jesus for healing. He healed them all, yet only one returned to give thanks. Ten people received a blessing, but only one chose to acknowledge it with gratitude. The others, it seems, continued on with their lives without turning back.
How often do we find ourselves in the line of the nine, forgetting to return and give thanks? Complaining is easy, it’s contagious and even socially acceptable. But giving thanks requires humility and recognition that every blessing, every breath, every bit of goodness is a gift from God.
In Philippians 4:6, Paul challenges us with these words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Gratitude is a choice and a powerful one. It shifts our focus from what’s wrong to the many things that are right.
 
Challenge: Today, consider which line you are standing in. Are you focused on complaints, frustrations, and disappointments? Or are you in the line that leads to thanksgiving, bringing praise to God for His blessings, both seen and unseen? Take a moment to step into the line of gratitude. Start by thanking God for three specific blessings in your life. Let this be your new position—a heart oriented toward thanksgiving, regardless of the circumstances.

Scripture: Luke 6:37–38 – Generosity comes in more forms than commerce. To withhold judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness is to act generously, and, in God's economy, it is rewarded with the same kind of benevolence—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”

 

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”  Is there a time and a season for generosity? It seems at this time of year we are all generous. The stores are full of holiday shoppers. We give to food banks. We make donations to our favorite charity. We go to church for Christas Eve service. We go through our Christmas card list to remove the names of those we sent cards last year but who did not reciprocate.  We give presents on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. We may even get upset when we do not get the present we wanted or thought we deserved.  

 

When disaster impacts our world, some of us contribute to the recovery effort, or at least tell others that we will. We go through our pantries and donate goods that are nearing their “use by” date. We go through our closets and donate clothes that we no longer wear, that are out of style, which are now too big, or too small. We all too often give what we no longer want or need. While such giving is helpful and appreciated by those in need, are we really being generous? Jesus presents us with a challenge. What does it mean to be truly generous? “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”” (Luke 21: 1-4) For many of us, might true generosity be shown by donating new food, new clothing?  

 

Luke reminds that the only thing that we can give to someone that no one else can give them is our time and talents, gifts given by God. We can be generous every day by having a kind word to say, spending time with someone who needs a friend or just someone to talk with, greeting people with a smile, helping those who need help, accepting help from others, praying for those in times of struggle, being grateful for what we have rather than complain about what we do not have, being grateful for the many blessing we receive every day. 

 

Prayer: Father, God, help us to remember that generosity is not something we do but who we are. Help us each day to be generous with our time and talents. Help us to cheerfully share the gifts and blessing that You give us each day. Help us to truly be a light in the world that reflects our love of neighbor.  

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
- Galatians 6:2


My brothers and sisters, grace and peace be with you all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ,

In today's events, there is so much discord between people, from hatred of those who
believe differently than we do to how someone acts or their personality. Let us be reminded that
all of us are made in the image and likeness of God. But also we are burdened with the disease of
sin as St. John of Kronstadt in his work My Life in Christ says “Never confuse the person formed
in the image of God, with the evil that is in him; because evil is but a chance misfortune, an
illness, a devilish reverie.

But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.” So let us love and pray for our neighbor despite
how much we disagree with them let us this year carry each other's burdens as Christ has carried Cathe cross for all of us.


The following is the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian-
“Lord and Master of my life, deliver me from the spirit of laziness, meddling, ambition
and gossip. Give me, Your servant, the spirit of prudence, humility, patience and love. Lord and
King, grant that I may see my sins and faults and not judge my brother, for You are blessed
forever and ever. Amen.

1 john 3:1
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” God’s love to us is generous. It should be a model for our generosity.
 
I have always loved 1 John 3: 1 because It speaks of the fact that God LAVISHED His love on us. The definition of the verb ‘lavish’ is: ‘To bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on; spend, expend, heap, shower, pour, deluge, give generously, give unstintingly, bestow freely’.
 
Note God’s love is not reluctant or grudgingly or conditional love but lavish love . Romans 5:8 states, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The fact God is generous in his love for us is not the exception or an isolated incident. God is also generous in his forgiveness, mercy, Grace, and abundance towards us.
 
What would it be like if we in turn, lived like this in how we treat others. How our lives would be different if we were generous in our love, forgiveness, grace, and giving towards others. Bill Gaither dreamt of such a lifestyle when he wrote:
 
I am loved, I am loved
I can risk loving you
For the One who knows me best
Loves me most
I am loved you are loved
Won't you please take my hand
We are free to love each other
We are loved
 
God, help us to be generous in love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and giving toward one another. We can’t out give God but we can try.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

~Matthew 25:34-40

 

Sometimes we forget the power of little things. It is easy to get caught up in big things as most often the big things are the ones that get noticed. However, the little things can be the most impactful. A smile. A hug. A pat on the back. A head nod. A fist bump. They cost us absolutely nothing, but they go a long way in making someone feel valued. They can go a long way in making someone’s day better.

 

We are challenged to be generous and show generosity daily. In fact, it’s expected of us. GOD expects us to take care of our brothers and sisters and to do it to no end. He expects us to be generous to one another. As we see in the passage of scripture from Matthew 25, this generosity does not have to be grandiose or extravagant. This generosity can mean doing the little things and doing them well.

 

Yeah, my brothers and sisters. The little things. A smile. A hug. A pat on the back. A head nod. A fist bump. Those little things.

 

A prayer. A blessing. A word of encouragement. A “Hey. Just wanted to check on you.” A “Hey, I love you.” Those little things.

 

Let’s be generous with the little things. Let’s show our generosity through the little things. Those little things will add up.

 

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us that the little things add up. As we seek to be generous to our fellow brothers and sisters, please remind us that what we do is bigger than ourselves. Amen.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“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.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7

 

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to focus on what we lack or the challenges we are facing. In social media we are trying to keep up with everyone on the next biggest and greatest thing. Or promoting the family or careers we have achieved. Yet, the Bible wants us to have a different perspective; the bible wants us to pause, see the blessings in our daily lives, and respond with thanks and giving to others. Gratitude shifts our hearts toward God, while generosity allows us to share this abundance with others.

Giving is more than an action; it’s a reflection of a grateful heart, an expression of faith, and a way to spread love. Whether it’s our time, our resources, an unacknowledged gift, or our encouragement, each act of giving reflects God’s love.

When we give thanks and give freely, we create a ripple effect of blessings that extend beyond ourselves. Our thankfulness nourishes our spirit and uplifts those around us. Our generosity, in turn, brings joy to God’s heart and makes His love visible to the world. Then this rippled effect passes out beyond our reach spreading in your home, your workplace, the community, and ultimately the world.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the holiday season thinking we must give extravagant gifts and make this gourmet meal when in reality the quality time with family, giving to others, laughter, and love is all that is needed. Using this time to give generously to others and spreading God’s love is all that is needed.

Let us pray for hearts that are full of thanks and hands ready to give, so that in all we do, we reflect the love and light of Christ.

 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the blessings you’ve poured into our lives. Help us to recognize and be grateful for every gift, both big and small. Open our hearts to give generously, as You have given to us, so that through our lives, others may know Your love. Amen.

Scripture Reading:  2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)   
"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."
 
Reflection: 
Generosity is more than just giving; it’s an expression of the heart. When we reflect on God’s abundant love and grace toward us, we find a natural overflow that compels us to share with others. The ultimate example of generosity is found in God's gift to us—His Son, Jesus Christ. Born on that miraculous Christmas night, Jesus came into the world not only to bring joy but also to bear our sins on the cross. This profound act of love illustrates the depth of God’s generosity. 
 
Think about the impact of small acts of generosity in your own life. A warm smile, a listening ear, or a helping hand can transform someone's day. When we choose to be generous, we not only bless others but also invite joy into our own lives. The paradox of generosity is that the more we give, the richer our lives become. 
In the passage from 2 Corinthians, Paul encourages the church to give from their hearts. This isn’t about obligation but about the joy that comes from sharing what we have. God delights in our willingness to give freely, and He promises to provide for us abundantly. 
 
Prayer: 
Dear Lord, thank You for the incredible gift of Your Son, Jesus, who was born to save us and generously sacrificed Himself for our sins. Help me to cultivate a heart of generosity, recognizing the blessings You have poured into my life. Teach me to give cheerfully and freely, knowing that every act of kindness has the power to make a difference. May my generosity reflect Your love and grace in the world. Amen. 
 
Action Step: 
During this holiday season, look for opportunities to be generous. It could be volunteering your time, donating to a cause you care about, or simply offering encouragement to someone in need. Let your actions reflect the abundance you have received, just as God generously gave us His greatest gift. 
The idea of forgiveness as the greatest way to be generous is a topic near and dear to me.
 
Today, let’s delve deeper into what it means to live generously through forgiveness, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 18:21-35. Here, Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus responds, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Imagine Peter’s shock! Jesus is not only asking for forgiveness but for forgiveness without limit.
 
In this parable, Jesus paints a picture of the kingdom of heaven, comparing it to a king who chooses to forgive his servant a massive debt—ten thousand talents, an amount the servant could never repay. The king’s forgiveness is radical, transforming, and entirely unearned. Yet when that same servant, forgiven of so much, encounters someone who owes him a mere hundred denarii, he demands repayment with an iron fist, refusing any compassion.
 
This story highlights an uncomfortable truth: while we readily accept God’s forgiveness, we can struggle to show the same mercy to others. When we withhold forgiveness, it’s as if we’re keeping a piece of God’s grace to ourselves, denying others the generosity we have received. Jesus uses this parable to call us to reflect on the gift we’ve been given and to act accordingly. God’s forgiveness isn’t just for our own hearts; it’s meant to flow through us and out to the world.
 
Forgiveness, then, becomes a form of generosity in action. It’s an unearned grace, a way of giving something priceless to others—a release from resentment, a letting go of judgment. And what a gift this is! When we forgive, we lift burdens from both ourselves and the other person. We say, “What was between us no longer stands in the way.” This gift of forgiveness fosters harmony, creating a community where love and mercy outweigh bitterness and grudges.
 
Living in a spirit of forgiveness means that we stop measuring wrongs and counting debts. As Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:13, we are to “forgive as the Lord forgave you.” This isn’t always easy. Forgiveness requires humility, empathy, and a willingness to let go of our pride and hurt. It’s often a process, but each step we take toward forgiveness brings us closer to the heart of God.
A community that forgives is a community that mirrors heaven. When we choose forgiveness over resentment, we create an environment where grace thrives, where people feel safe, and where relationships flourish. Jesus knew that forgiveness would be the glue that holds His followers together, forming a foundation of unity that withstands any trial. Through forgiveness, we show the world a glimpse of God’s kingdom.
 
So, as we go about our lives, let’s remember the grace we have been shown and extend it to others. Whether it’s forgiving a close friend, letting go of an old grievance, or simply choosing patience over frustration, each act of forgiveness reflects God’s love. This week, let’s challenge ourselves to live generously with forgiveness—not only because it frees us, but because it builds a community of love, compassion, and harmony.
 
Let us pray, 
May we live in the image of God here on earth, choosing forgiveness without limit, embodying the generosity of our Heavenly Father, and letting that spirit of mercy bind us together in perfect unity. Amen.
Over the next nine weeks the Newberry College Community will reflect on GENEROSITY.
 
I marvel at the sunrise. I ponder the foggy morning drive to campus as I look for the start of a new day. As people of faith, we know that God has always been a creative God, from the creation stories of Genesis until now and will be forever.  God has been generous and calls his people to be blessings to those around them. 
 
2 Corinthians 9:11-12, says, "11You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 
 
I see a pattern in God‘s creativity. God is generous and showers us with God's blessings. God's generosity leads to God's graciousness which leads to God's ongoing creativity and even more generosity. THIS generous heart of God invites us to be generous. We share that with others. Our generosity leads to others being gracious to one another which leads to new creativity and levels of generosity. We are invited into that ongoing cycle of grace for the world. We are blessed so that we can be blessings to those around us. 
 
It starts with our family (birth or chosen) and grows into sharing generosity with our neighbors and then the larger community. Others see the generosity and graciousness and are also invited into that cycle. 
 
We are generous because God has been gracious and created a world of joy. God intends to give us what we need and more so that we might turn toward our neighbors and share with them as well. Our neighbors in turn are also blessed and share in our blessings. And when we have need, their blessings overflow so they can share with us in our hour of need. 
 
I hope we recognize our lives are dependent upon God AND each other in our community as we learn to share in the creative cycle of God's love and mercy for the world. 
 
Let us pray, 
God of generosity, let your love, grace, mercy shower upon us so that we might be a blessing to others. Help us to see the needs around us and be drawn by your heart of creativity and joy to be generous to all who have needs. Thank you, God for blessing us and help us to share it with others. 
 
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