Astonishing Generosity

If someone were to ask you, “Who is your most generous friend?”, who would you think of? Or better yet, what is it about this friend that defines them as being generous? Most likely, it’s not about the specifics of their tithing habits. More likely it’s because they are someone who has shown up for us. Maybe they spent a Saturday helping us move, or picked up our kids from practice when we were running late, or heard we were sick and brought over a meal unasked. Maybe they stopped and asked how we were doing, and we could tell they really cared to know an answer beyond, “fine, thanks.” Being generous in relationships is a lot about just being the kind of person who shows up. 

In Acts 2, the early church of newly Spirit-filled believers was marked by generosity of relationship and community:

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

The community of the early church cared for one another, knowing what each other’s needs were because they shared life together. They had people to enjoy meals with and worship Jesus with. And they were winsome—they enjoyed the favor of all the people, and more and more people put their faith in Jesus and joined the believers. These sound like folks who knew how to show up to relationships with a lifestyle of astonishing generosity that leads to “Why?”

What is our “why?” God has designed us to need people, to share life together in community, and to glorify Him and reflect His character. Jesus is our Immanuel, God with us. He loved us so much that he came to rescue us. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, who promises to never leave or forsake us. And he sends us out into the world to point others back to Him with our lives. 

In today’s fast-paced culture, community can be difficult to find and challenging to maintain, but Scripture tells us that it is worth the effort: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

What step would Jesus have you take toward astonishing generosity with your relationships and in your relationships? How might He be leading you to show up for others?

Perhaps it’s time to send a message to an old friend you haven’t spoken with in a while, or stop at the mailbox long enough to have a conversation with a neighbor you haven’t really gotten to know. Perhaps you’ve been meaning to invite someone over for dinner and haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe it’s time to take a step to deepen a surface-level friendship and start opening up and talking with that friend about more spiritual things together. Maybe there’s someone in your life who is difficult to love whom Jesus is asking you to show grace and kindness to.

Generosity in relationships will not always be convenient. It might sometimes be awkward. As humans who need Jesus to do life with other humans who need Jesus, we are bound to hurt each other’s feelings at some point. Maybe the “astonishing” part of astonishing generosity in relationships comes in when you keep showing up for someone, even when it’s hard.

Statistics would tell us that many who are reading this might be battling loneliness and might be in a place of needing community themselves. The good news is, we are in the right place. This is what the Church was designed for. Maybe Jesus is asking some of us to take a step towards finding community at church. Then once there, take a courageous step to open up and share, so that brothers and sisters in Jesus can come alongside us as family does.

At the end of the day, we who are being filled up with the Holy Spirit and worshiping together and learning about Jesus together in Church are not meant to go home and hold all that light and love of Jesus for ourselves. We are meant to see who Jesus has placed in our lives for a purpose and pour out and receive grace and compassion, ultimately pointing people to Jesus by how we love and live.

Jesus, how can I take a step of astonishing generosity in the relationships you have placed me in? Help me to have eyes to see people as you do. Bring to mind someone you would have me reach out to. Show me how to love as you love and give of myself as you gave of yourself to the people you have placed in my life.