Generosity in Adversity
Devotional Reading: You do well and excel in every respect—in unstoppable faith, in powerful preaching, in revelation knowledge, in your passionate devotion, and in sharing the love we have shown to you. So make sure that you also excel in grace-filled generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:7 TPT
I don’t know about you, but it seems easier for me to be generous in good times than bad. When I’m confronted with an abundance, I get excited about giving, but when things aren’t going as planned, I want to pull back.
Thinking about this got me wondering: How did David and, later on, Jesus handle adversity?
For David, he was charged with preparing God’s temple but was told he wouldn’t be the one to build it. Instead of pouting, in 1 Chronicles 29, David led preparations and personally donated over 110 tons of gold. And his generosity inspired the people to contribute over 185 tons of gold.
In Jesus’ case, we get a picture of the adversity He was dealing with in Luke 22. Jesus was under so much anguish, His sweat was like drops of blood!
Instead of retreating, however, He followed through with the greatest act of generosity of all time: giving His life on the cross to save us. Since then, for over 2,000 years, Christians all over the world have put their faith and trust in Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Do you have adversity in your life today? Are you concerned by what you hear on the news and see in your community? If so, here are some ideas to turn it around.
- If you’re blessed with little and you made a purchase or get on a ride or a bike, you may asked them to keep the change. You can change someone’s day and outlook with this simple act of kindness.
- If you’re a business owner, you can decide to give a discount and Set a new tone based on how God’s economy works.
- If you are married, you both can decide to focus on one kingdom work to give your resources to; blessing pastors, giving to missions, or looking out for those in need in your community and blessing them.
- If you’re young, stay variable and delay major purchases for a year. Find a Christian cause you’re into and start giving to it. You can be the difference in someone finding their way to Jesus.
In times of adversity, we can change the narrative. We can flip the script.
Live, lead and be generous like Jesus. It is guaranteed, the future will be bright, for you and everyone else around you.
Prayer and Confession
I declare that I choose to be generous even in adversity. God is my source.
Further Reading: 1Corinthians 8 & 9
.
