Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div
A Generous Heart Unlocks the Spring of Spiritual Blessings
It is a common scene. A two-year-old is introduced to another youngster for the first time. And the youngster has grabby hands, just like the toddler. A red fire truck is an innocent toy caught in the middle, and the battle is on. Neither child wants to let go. The injured and insulted two-year-old draws the line in the sand. “Give it back! It’s mine!”
Some may laugh at this kind of scenario, but sadly they may be among those who never grow out of this state of innate selfishness. There are many who live life with only one goal in mind: get what they want, and keep what they have. Unfortunately, the “it’s mine” mentality prevents many people from experiencing the freedom found in giving. But even more unfortunate, they do not give because they are afraid that if they make a habit out of giving, what they give will be taken out of what they have until they have nothing left.
Jesus Christ was the greatest example of someone literally giving everything they had, including their life. And yet God did not leave Jesus in that state of death and darkness. God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him a heavenly seat of honour, at the right hand of the Father. In the eyes of the world, He died penniless, cursed and abandoned. Despite what the world saw, those who know Him intimately know that He took upon Himself the wrath of God for a divine purpose. Those who believe in Him inherit the kingdom of God and live a life of blessing and belonging. And they give freely out of what has been freely given to them.
Those who have a generous spirit are never self-seeking. They don’t count pennies to make sure they are not giving too little or too much, nor are they concerned about what may or may not be left over for them. Believers who have a genuine desire to see the needs and desires of others met have very little concern for their own. They know, like the widow of Zarephath, that God’s promises are true. If He promises to meet the need, then He will meet the need, whether there is little left or nothing at all. They do not think lack but instead believe in God’s abundance. Just as the widow’s oil and flour did not run out and she did not go hungry, the spring of blessing will never run dry for the one who willingly gives from the heart.
