November 8, 2023: Generosity The Pathway To Thanksgiving

"But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity." (Isaiah 32:8, NLT)

Generosity is a pathway to Thanksgiving. The Bible has much to say about generosity because it is the record of a generous God reaching out to an impoverished and lost humanity.
 
What is generosity? Webster defines it as the quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish. It is the willingness to give to others. Generosity is the willingness to give something of value, such as money, time, attention, etc., to someone else without expecting anything in return.
 
Generosity begins with God! John 3:16 says, "God first loved us." In Romans 5:8, He revealed His kindness to us while we were yet sinners. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that it was Christ who, "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor". Generous is who God is. It describes how He interacts with us.
 
Generosity begins in the heart. Being generous starts with a heart attitude of treating each person as though they have already achieved the potential of greatness that is in every one of us. Generosity is the opposite of being selfish. Generosity gives because it is in the heart to give to others. After all, we want to! It is how God gave to us and God treats us.
 
Generous people make room for God's love to flow through them, touching other people's hearts. Generosity becomes the pathway to thanksgiving.