We are saved through the amazing grace of God. It is by the grace of that we are alive. It is by the grace of God that we have made it through may trials and temptations. Grace also changes the way we see the world. Grace leads us to a better way to live, the way of generosity.
A life of generosity is a rich life. Whether we are literally talking about money or about values such time or attention, you wind up with more when you give some away. It is counterintuitive. We might think that the more we give, the less we have left for ourselves. The math of grace is different. Grace tells us that the more you give of whatever people need from you, the more you wind up for yourself.
A life of generosity is a life of faith. The more we give away, the more our faith grows. It is the sequence here that surprises us. We might assume that the more faith we have, the more we gain confidence that we can be generous. In fact, as we experiment with being generous, we learn that we can trust God, and thus our faith increases. When you have given away what you were not sure you could afford to give, and you find that you can do it, you grow in faith.
A life of generosity is a meaningful life. What makes for a meaningful life? A life where you give of yourself. How do you come upon opportunities to give of yourself? By giving of yourself. Don’t be put off by what may appear to be circular reasoning. If you establish yourself as a generous person, people will turn to you when they need help. The reward of responsibility is more more responsibility. The benefit to you is abundant opportunities to lead a meaningful life.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross has led us to see the world through the lens of grace. In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about grace and generosity.