Spirit of Generosity

Can we believe it is only a few more days until we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace as prophesised by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6b) 700 years before the birth.
 
With many folk already in the festive spirit of the season – let us never forget the reason for the season, as the cliched saying goes.
I recently read an article by Maggie Le-Roy, the retreats facilitator for the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, and I share it with you.
 
December is here again. It’s a time for giving and receiving; a time to celebrate the generous gift of Christ coming into the world; an invitation to receive him again; an opportunity to be generous to others.
 
Many this year are feeling the spiralling cost of living and concerned about how this will impact their generosity in this season.
Sadly generosity is often only judged by how much is given materially.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, in saying her quiet ‘yes’ to what God was asking of her, was whispering the giving of her whole self to God. Her “let it be to me as you have said” was the generosity we also see in Jesus during his 33 years of selfless service on earth.
His ultimate “not my will but yours be done” was a massive act of generosity.
Jesus seemed to notice real generosity. He observed that some were more concerned about rules than meeting an immediate need. He watched what was going on in the Temple, some making a big show of their donations and others impressing him by giving the little which was all they had.
Generosity it seems has to cost something. Maybe it is in time being given to others which lessens time for ourselves? Maybe it is giving resources to others which are more than we can spare? Maybe it is time given to just listening to God.
 
Lord, teach me to be generous;
to serve as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to labour and not to seek reward;
save that of knowing that I do Your Holy will.
(Author unknown)
 
Jesus’ coming and life in our world modelled the entire prayer above – selfless generosity.
 
On the first Christmas, God gave the greatest, most generous gift of all — he gave his Son.
He gave his Son to die on the cross that we can have a forgiven past, a purpose for living, and a home in Heaven.
The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of generosity. In Acts 15:11, the Bible says, “We are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us” (The Message). 
 
If it weren’t for God’s generosity, we would have nothing.
The air we breathe is a gift of God’s generosity. Our beating hearts is a gift of God’s generosity. Every good thing in our life — including our life itself — is a gift of God’s generosity. 
But God’s greatest act of generosity came on the very first Christmas when he gave us Jesus.

May we, this Christmas give the generous gift of knowing Jesus as our Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace to those around us – our families, our friends, our community and may we give generously back to God by following Jesus wholeheartedly, as Mary did when she said yes to what God was asking of her.
 
May we get to know our Eternal Father more intimately as we spend time in His Holy Word. May we give generously back to God through our obedience as recorded in Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
 
May we serve others generously with our gifts, our talents, our time and our love as the Holy Spirit directs us and may we always share the Good News of Jesus –
 
My prayer for us this Christmas season is from Paul’s letter to the Romans: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. Romans 15:13
 
Much love
Michelle