Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, August 9, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Our generosity changes us—we rejoice in what others can have because we don’t always need what we think we do.
I had the privilege of serving in my first congregation under a senior pastor that lived generosity to his core. Stewardship was his gift, and through him I learned what generosity was (and what it wasn’t).
Many preachers shy away from preaching stewardship because it feels like fundraising. But true stewardship is not fundraising, it is generosity. And true generosity is not obligation, it is a gift.
I’ve seen it play out in congregations. The ones that approach all decisions from a perspective of scarcity rarely grow (in numbers or in spirituality). The tight-fisted gut reaction against spending closes, rather than opens the spirit of the congregation.
But in congregations that embrace generosity as a spiritual gift, growth abounds (yes, numbers and spirituality). This doesn’t mean they spend frivolously. It means they spend with thoughtfulness and an outward movement. The spent dollars are not wasted, but invested—in people, in ministries, and even in the running of the building.
If you are reading this, you are likely living in one of the richest countries in the world. I say this not to condemn, but to liberate. When we acknowledge what we have rather than what we lack, something freeing happens. We become grateful. Our gratitude turns to generosity. Our generosity changes us and everything around us.
Generosity is not a burden, it is a gift. When we set our sights on moving our resources toward those who truly do lack, we find that we desire less of the stuff we once thought it important to acquire. We spend (invest) more thoughtfully. We learn to be quite content with less. We receive joy in the gifts (yes, even needs like food and clothing) others can have because we don’t always need what we think we do.
Ever-bountiful Infinite One, open my heart to give, free from fear. Amen.
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