Day 9: Gratitude and Generosity
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Where gratitude grows, you will generally find generosity flourishing as well. Yet, generosity is a most unnatural quality if ever there was one. I mean, here we stand today, in an age as risky, volatile, and dangerous as any other in memory, where conventional wisdom declares this is not time to be loose with our money and other resources. The financial commentators tell us what our hearts were already thinking: Protect what you can, because tomorrow could all be chaos.
Yet Paul expressed a surprising lack of concern for economic indicators when he advised the Corinthian church to let generosity be among the most notable expressions of their gratitude. His trust in God's supply was so strong, he treated as a "given" the fact that the church would "be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (v. 11). "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all time, you may abound in every good work" (v. 8). In all things. At all times. Even these times.
Grateful people are generous people. Those who have "freely...received," are motivated to "freely give" (Matthew 10:8 NKJV).
GRATITUDE IN ACTION
- Why do gratitude and generosity go hand in hand? Can we truly be defined by one without practicing the other?
- What act(s) of generosity might gratitude be motivating you toward today? Ask God for wisdom and faith, then follow through on the promptings of His Spirit in relation to your giving.
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