Selfless
Generosity- God’s people reflecting the very heart and character of God, is never
more powerfully displayed than that first Christmas; when God took on flesh and
moved into our neighborhood; we call it the incarnation.
Chip
Ingram calls the Incarnation “a graduate course in generosity. The incarnation
tells the story of a radically loving, generous God. He came into a hostile
world to offer us gifts that are too great for words.” God became ordinary for
us, so that we could understand the extraordinary offer of His generosity.
The
shepherds were generous with time-
“When the angels had left them and gone into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this
thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they
had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about
this child…” Joseph is another character in the Christmas event; he was generous with his reputation-
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly…
Obviously
his fiancé had been unfaithful; right? He had to do something to
protect his reputation, so people didn’t think he committed adultery and thus
tarnish his reputation. If he says the child is his, he lies and will be
considered an adulterer. If he goes ahead with this it will mark him for life. Yet,
Joseph releases his reputation to the Lord.
“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the
angel of the Lord commanded him: he took Mary as his wife.”
Joseph
released his reputation- what people would think and say. He generously entrusted
his reputation to God.
Mary
could have said- “Wait a minute, what’s this gonna mean for me, for my future?
This isn’t exactly what I had planned.” Yet- Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.
May everything you have said about me come true.”
Mary
surrendered her future- the known (being an unwed pregnant teenager); and the
unknown (How would this play out? What would this mean for her and the child?) With
faith and hope she surrendered her future to God’s will; she was generous with
the unknown expanse of her life.
What
would become of her? All the possibilities and potentials surrendered. Generously
offering her future to God and His plans. Jesus laid aside His divine rights as God (Philippians 2:6-8)
He laid down His very life, fulfilling the very purpose for which His Father sent Him.
The
Father freely offered His Son, His most prize possession, to bring us back; because
of His love for you and me- “they’re worth it”. The generosity of God the Father
provided you and me with life and love and forgiveness so we might live lives
of love. Christmas reveals the great generosity of God.
The
Christmas participants model a commitment to generosity; God invites His
children to live generously and experience the abundant life Jesus died for.
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his
poverty he could make you rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
A life lived with Christmas generosity, is a life
well lived.
This
Christmas, celebrate God’s generosity; wrap yourself in the Christmas
generosity of God. Enjoy His grace and His goodness. Then, enter the hostile
world around you to hand out gifts of love and generosity. Live a life of Christmas Generosity;
experience the abundant life Jesus came to give you by living, generously, not
just for a season, for a lifetime.
