Tuesday: Dear friends, if God loved us that much we also should love each other. No one has ever seen God, but if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is made perfect in us. 1 John 4:11-12 (NCV) Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (MES) Reflection: There are two mentalities that threaten generosity. One is insatiability, but the other masquerades as a friend; it is the concept of fairness. Generosity isn’t fair. To play the game of generosity, you either shoot for extravagant love, or you go home. Fair isn’t a valid play. Fair is a child’s word. It is like the Law of Moses. It was designed to train the clueless what it means to look not just at our own desires, but the desires of those around us. We cannot be generous unless we’ve first grasped fairness, because we all begin as children who see the world not as it is, but as though it revolves around us (I blame my mom for that belief… she always told me how wonderful I am and I could never figure out why everyone else didn’t see what she did ;0). Fair is an important lesson in elementary schools. Fair is an important lesson on playgrounds. Fair is even an important lesson in courtrooms. But there is no fair in the kingdom of God. Jesus came to show us a God of extravagant love. I am so grateful that Jesus doesn’t treat me fairly! Instead He treats me generously and mercifully. That may not be what I deserve, but it’s what I need in order to even get in the game! And that’s what He asks me to give others – the generosity and mercy He’s given me. If I choose to give less then I’m no longer playing His game… I’m playing someone else’s game and believe me… you don’t want to get into playing Satan’s games. How would you approach today differently if you traded the concept of fairness in for generosity? What would it look like to shoot for extravagant love? How might playing the generosity game change you whether you win, loose or draw? Prayer: Father, I thank You that You don’t treat me fairly… as I deserve to be treated but with extravagant love, extravagant mercy and extravagant grace. Teach me what it would look like in my life if I loved, accepted and forgave the people around me extravagantly. In Jesus Name, amen.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 05:47:17 +0000
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