“Love freely gives and is rewarded with much more to give.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 4, 2021
Again, heaven’s kingdom is like a wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage. Matthew 25:14-15, TPT
Generous living is more about mindset than money. Because of God’s great love for giving His son Jesus for the salvation of the world, Jesus followers are joyfully and eternally grateful. An attitude of gratitude governs a generous life. Giving money is only the starting point of being generous, but giving our life away is God’s goal for all those who love Him. What does it mean to live a life of generosity? Every day, everyone we encounter becomes a candidate for our good works, as we are responsible managers of what our Master Jesus has given us. Generosity from a grateful and loving heart flows freely from those who believe blessings are meant to bless others.
In His famous Parable of the Talents, Jesus prepares His disciples for their service in Kingdom living. Portrayed as the Master in the story, Jesus will go away to heaven, leaving His servants, the disciples, to steward His money and resources. Two of the three stewards are faithful to courageously and creatively grow their master’s assets, while the third person does nothing—paralyzed by fear. What if I fail? What if I make my master mad? What if, what if—no faith or love, only indolence. Faithfulness is rewarded with more, while doing nothing loses everything.
“The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money” (Matthew 25:16-18, TPT).
Astutely, Alexander Maclaren, an eloquent British Baptist preacher from the 19th century, describes our giving God and how His love moves His children from fear to generosity:
To many men the requirements of religion are more prominent than its gifts, and God is thought of as demanding rather than, as ‘the giving God.’ Such thoughts paralyze action. Fear is barren, love is fruitful. Fear is a bad reasoner, and the absurd gap between the premises and the conclusion is matched by one of the very same width in everyday life that thinks of God as rigidly requiring obedience, which, therefore, it does not give!
In contrast is such a beautiful truth: Love freely gives and is rewarded with much more to give!
Is your life motivated by fear or love? Do you hold on to the Lord’s blessings or freely share them? The vistas of your life’s potential will open wide, the wider you open your hands of generosity for the good of others, not expecting anything in return. The story Jesus tells us about the Talents is true. This is why we live generously now in preparation for His return. Buried blessings decay and lose their way, while the blessings of time, treasure and talent given away bring people into the way of God. Stay faithful in generous living, as love brings others to Jesus. And when He returns or we go to be with Him, He will say, Enter into the joy of your Lord!
“Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” (Matthew 25:23, TPT).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my heart of gratitude and love to live a generous life through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Pray and listen to the Lord in how to live a generous life that reflects God’s generosity toward you.
Related Reading
Luke 6:38; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17
Worship Resource
Elevation Worship: Love Won’t Give Up
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