- Thankful people live with a different perspective.
- Life's struggles end where gratitude begins.
- Thankful people are generous people.
- Generosity is the best way to live.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill
Psalm 100:5 MSG // For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.
Psalm 145:16 MSG // Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.
Romans 10:11-13 MSG // Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
Deuteronomy 15:10-11 MSG // Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.
- Open Heart - A desire to help others.
- Open Hand - Giving my time, gifts, and money to help others.
Isaiah 32:8 NLT // But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
1 Timothy 6:17 NLT // Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
- What is Living Generously?
1. We live for a YES
Philippians 4:8-9 MSG // Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
2. We continually sow seeds.
Luke 6:37-38 MSG // Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.
3. We attract people to God.
Matthew 5:14-16 MSG // Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
4. We receive more than we can imagine.
Proverbs 11:24-25 MSG // The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.
