Generous in All Things
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Acts 2:43-47, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
43 Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. 44 All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. 45 They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever was in need. 46 Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, 47 while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
Acts 2:43-47
6 Remember this saying, “A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a big harvest.” 7 Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. 8 God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. 9 The Scriptures say, “God freely gives his gifts to the poor, and always does right.” 10 God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so you can give even more to those in need. 11 You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift. 12 What you are doing is much more than a service that supplies God's people with what they need. It is something that will make many others thank God. 13 The way in which you have proved yourselves by this service will bring honor and praise to God. You believed the message about Christ, and you obeyed it by sharing generously with God's people and with everyone else. 14 Now they are praying for you and want to see you, because God used you to bless them so very much. 15 Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Memory Verse
Hebrews 13:16
16 But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Sharing is caring”? It means that when we share what we have, we show others that we care about them. Too often we think generosity is all about money, but that is not true. Maybe you shared part of your lunch at school with a friend. You might share your toys with your brother or sister. Others share their time to volunteer to help someone else. When God sent Jesus, he showed us how to be generous in all things. He freely gave his only Son to show the world his love.
When the church first began, the believers in the book of Acts knew what it meant to be generous in all things (Acts 2:43-47). They met together daily, being generous with their time. They were not selfish with their possessions and shared everything they had with one another. They ate their meals together happily, sharing their food willingly and without an attitude. They even sold or gave away stuff they owned to help someone else. They were an unselfish community making sure that everyone was cared for.
How can you show generosity? Maybe you don’t have lots of money to give, and that's okay. Remember, you don’t need money to be generous. Generosity is about using what you do have to help someone else. God uses our generosity to show the world his love. There are many opportunities in your daily life to be generous. It's not about how much you have, but what you do with what you have.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for all the ways you have been generous to me. Please help me to look for ways to care for others the way you do. Amen.Related Resources
Natasha Menifee
Natasha Menifee is an educator, writer and most importantly a child of God. She has taught in public schools for 12 years and holds two master's degrees from Georgetown College in Learning & Behavior Disorders and Teacher Leadership. Natasha also serves as the Christian Education Director at her church. She is the proud mother of two daughters. For more information about her, visit www.natashamenifee.com.