Cultivating Generosity
The Generosity of God
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [they are] a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
One of the reasons many of us struggle with cultivating generosity is that we unknowingly believe we have to constantly earn God’s love. We behave as if God will somehow withhold that love if we aren’t constantly making ourselves worthy of receiving it. The fact is, if we believe God is stingy with God’s love, then how will we ever learn to loosen our grip enough to share out of our abundance with other people?
The verse from 2 Corinthians above was one of the first Bible verses I (Gary) committed to memory as a child. Through the years, when I have doubted my own worthiness, it has been a comfort to me, reminding me that God is always, always, always making all things new—including me. Talk about holy generosity!
One of my favorite hymns begins with the line, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.” The hymn goes on to talk about how God is constantly giving of God’s own Self to renew and redeem all of creation. For me, the verse that summarizes everything I need to know about God’s generosity is this:
For the love of God is broader than the measure of the mind;
And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more faithful, we should take him at his word;
And our life would be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.
One of the ways we “train ourselves to be generous” is by taking the time to remember that we are awash—every moment of every day—in the ocean of Divine Love that is making all things new … including us.
Making it Personal: What are the places in your life where you’ve experienced God generously making “all things new”?
Listen To Our Lent Podcast Episodes
We also invite you to listen to the Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast hosted by Scott Stoner. This is a year-round, weekly podcast; however, during Lent, there will be two new episodes each week to enrich your experience of our Lenten readings on Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit.
You can listen to the podcast on our website by clicking HERE. You can also find this podcast in your favorite podcast listening app (Apple, Google, Spotify, etc.)—just search for Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness