What Jesus Did : Luke 6:38 - The Principle of Generosity
by Phil Ware
The Principle of Generosity - Luke 6:38
"Give to other people, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands--more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to other people is the way God will give to you." (ERV) Full Text
Key Thought
The two areas where many of us can be the stingiest are money and forgiveness. So after all that Jesus taught us in the previous statements about graciousness and generosity, he now sums it up with these two summary principles: 1) our blessings will be based upon our willingness to bless others, and 2) our measure of treating and judging others will be the basis used for measuring and treating us by others and by God. In other words, God has been gracious with us; we can either share that graciousness or abuse it. Grace is wonderful and free until we take it off the market and out of circulation in our relationships. If we stymie, hold, or remove God's grace from circulation, it becomes damaged and lost with us. This stern warning reminds us again how seriously God takes our generosity with others.
Today's Prayer
Father God, forgive my miserly forgiveness in the past. Forgive my previous condemning attitude toward others. Open my heart to share your generosity. Open my heart to give others the benefit of the doubt instead of judging them. Use me as a conduit of your generosity and grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
NEW: Get Phil's What Jesus Did devotional in a paperback book. Click here to find out more!
"Don't judge other people, and you will not be judged. Don't condemn (find guilty) other people, and you will not be condemned. Forgive other people, and you will be forgiven. Give to other people, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands--more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to other people is the way God will give to you." Jesus told them this story: "Can a blind man lead another blind man? No! Both of them will fall into a hole. A student is not better than his teacher. But when the student has fully learned, then he will be like his teacher. "Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't see the big piece of wood that is in your own eye? You say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye.' Why do you say this? You can't see that big piece of wood in your own eye! You are a hypocrite. First, take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your brother's eye.
-- Luke 6:37-42 (ERV)
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/0413-wjd.html
(c)2001-2006, Phil Ware and Heartlight, Inc.
©1996-2002, Heartlight, Inc. - http://www.heartlight.org