How to Live Generously
What’s your most prized possession? It might be the most valuable thing you own, like the house you’ve worked your whole life to afford. But it could also be a photo from a special time you spent with someone you loved. Or it could be a meaningful gift from a friend.
The value we assign to our “things” is tangled up with our emotions. How we choose to use the things we cherish most reveals our true priorities.
Jesus’ death on the cross is one of the greatest examples of God’s generosity. Despite knowing we could never repay Him, God didn’t hesitate to give up his greatest treasure—His only Son—for us. And through that sacrificial act, He demonstrated what generosity looks like: He gave something precious to Him for the sake of others. He gave because of love.
You don’t have to just give financially to practice generosity. Living generously simply acknowledges that God is able to do anything He wants through the gifts He has given you. Your giving may be financial, but it may also be something else, like giving your time to serve at your local church or hosting someone in your home. The possibilities are endless, but the results are consistent: When you honor Him with your giving, it draws you closer to Him and brings Him glory.
Generosity flows out of a thankful and trusting heart. The more you trust God with what you have, the more He starts to entrust you with.
Ultimately, giving will remind you that you are not in control, but you know the One who is in control—and He can provide for all your needs.
So what do you have to give? Try finding a place where you can invest what you have in some way. Start small, or go big. Just start.
Grace and Truth in Jesus
For centuries, the nation of Israel awaited the coming Messiah who would bring the Kingdom of God and make things right in the world. Despite pain, persecution, and setbacks, they persevered because their hope was grounded in the promises of God.
Israel’s wait was finally over when the Messiah, Jesus, arrived. However, Jesus did not come as many expected—in a grand procession or with a large army behind Him. Instead, He arrived quietly in the stillness of the night, as a baby, in a little town called Bethlehem.
But in a surprise twist, this newborn was not only the Messiah who would free God’s people from their sins, but God Himself. John tells us that “the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word exists eternally, but for a time took on human form and lived among people.
Jesus began His earthly ministry in the most humble way—by coming as a baby. But it’s through the person of Jesus that we see the glory of God. Paul says in Colossians, “For in Christ all ...