Called to be a True Alongsider

Philippians 4:14-19

“It was good of you to share in my troubles.” (v. 14)  The church at Philippi was there for Paul when no one else was.  How hard it is to share in someone’s troubles!  More often than not, we prefer to avoid our own problems and certainly not share in somebody else’s. 

While social media has made it easy to share our lives with the world, what pieces are we sharing?  Isn’t is usually the good stuff?  Yes, occasionally we let people know we’re having a tough time and we may get a lot of “prayer hands” in the comments, but are we really sharing in each other’s troubles?  Is there any real sacrifice being made? 

Paul appreciated the Philippians' sacrifice and let them know it wouldn’t go unnoticed. “…a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” (v. 18) The Philippians were generous, as the Church today is asked to be.  Generous not just with our finances, but our time and talents as well.  How lovely would it be to sit with someone and really feel like we’re being heard?  To share a heartfelt prayer or honest word of encouragement – not a brief, superficial social media encounter.

When we truly make a sacrifice for others, God sees and is pleased.  As the Message translation states, “it’s a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.”  The key word being ALONGSIDE.  It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we come alongside one another.  Not around or near each other, not through a computer screen, tablet or smartphone, but truly alongside one another.  Letting each other know we can make it through anything because God is with us. 

Lord, let me be a light in troubled times.  Make it clear when someone needs me to come alongside them.  Give me the courage to make the necessary sacrifices and give me the strength to lift others up and may they be there to point me back to You in my hour of need.  Amen

Sow, Grow And Give It Away

2 Corinthians 9:5-15

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (v. 8)

Our Heavenly Father gives us what we need, though we often feel we don’t have enough.  The world feeds this notion of constantly needing more and never being content.  Today’s passage is a reminder that if we’re willing to be generous and give what we have, He’ll make sure our TRUE needs are always met.  God is our seed supplier. He gives us what we need to sow and grow abundantly.  Lives that are full of God are wealthy beyond compare.

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (v. 11)

The circle of generosity is wide.  God is generous with us; therefore, we are to be generous with others, so they in turn can be generous with even more.  Others will praise God because they have witnessed an example of obedience and they will pray – each person filling the other in loving gratitude for the grace God has given.

Dear God, you bless us abundantly.  Help us see we have more than we need and that by being generous with our gifts, we will enrich the lives of others and in return, will be enriched in ways we could never imagine.  As it states in verse 15, Thanks be to God, for your indescribable gift!  Amen

Generous Encounter

Acts 20:28 (NIV)
²⁸  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 

How does one watch over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit made us overseers? One of the things included in the definition of Generosity is the quality of being willing to donate time. It takes time to come alongside someone. It takes precious minutes out of your day to help someone navigate through life.

It takes a loving heart and a willing spirit to practice this type of generosity, but God expects no less. At some point in our lives there was someone who did this for us. Think about it. Can you identify that special person God placed in your path just when you needed him/her? Have you ever thought just how generous this person was with their time, to help you when you needed it most?

"For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."  (1 John 3:11)

Is there someone in your regular daily path whom God might be pointing to? Is there someone you feel you need to reach out to, to help, to invite into your life? Is there someone who needs you to show them the love of God. Is it time to give generously of yourself to this person?

Dear Jesus,
Point out to me the one You have prepared, the child of Yours You want me to reach out to. Give me a heart filled with a desire to be generous today. Prepare my path so that I may encounter them soon. Come Holy Spirit.


Acts 20:28

Pour Yourself Out

Generosity: the quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish; the quality of being generous; especially:willingness to give money and other valuable things to others.

I was surprised by the beginning portion of this definition - the quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish.

I used to think that a person who was generous, was rich. And while that is true, they are rich in a way we don't always think of. The generous person is rich in their heart and their spirit. They possess a trait not everyone has and their generous nature makes them stand out in a crowd.
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6 NIV)

I recently read an article which called out the difference between generosity and philanthropy. The Christian who is generous believes that all we have is given us by God since we have been entrusted with these things to use for His glory. The philanthropist believes he is giving from his own possessions and the glory goes to him or her.

Even a very poor person can be generous. Generosity is not about the amount or the quantity, it is about the heart.

Isaiah 58:6-12