Being Truly Generous

Thursday, February 2, 2012
Pray: 
Generous God, I acknowledge that all I have is a gift from You. What a good and giving God You are!
Read: 
LUKE 6:37-42

[37] "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [38] Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." [39] He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? [40] A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. [41] "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [42] How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Reflect: 
What challenge does Jesus give us here?

My mother was a great believer in giving people the benefit of the doubt. I would sometimes visit her complaining of some injustice that I thought I'd suffered. And did I get sympathy? No, absolutely not. She was much more likely to wonder aloud whether the other person might be having a bad day and how that might affect their judgment.

Here Jesus wants us to be understanding, too; to show generosity in both forgiving and giving (37,38). I love the description of giving in v. 38. It isn't rushing into a shop for a last-minute present, it's taking days or even weeks to really ponder and find the gift that absolutely fits the occasion!

It's much the same with forgiveness. We can quickly, and sometimes lightly, say the words, but the actual working out of forgiveness in our lives can take a lot longer, and needs God's help. We are actually making the other person a gift of our forgiveness and it will involve true generosity--and perhaps taking that log out of our own eye first (41)! Only when we have done that will we be able to concentrate on living as Jesus intends us to.

Apply: 
Are you finding it hard to forgive somebody? Remember how much Jesus has forgiven you and ask his help.
Pray: 
Lord Jesus, just as You have readily forgiven me, may I have the same spirit of ready forgiveness toward others.
Through the Bible In One Year: 
Exodus 17,18 / Matthew 23

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