Generosity= Hilarious Proof

Generosity. Maybe this word sticks out to me because I've seen much of it in my life, maybe it sticks out because I have received much, maybe it sticks out because that's what I believe God calls me into. Maybe all of this. I have seen His overwhelming provision time and time again. God is a generous God, even more, He has a heart for generosity. He also asks us to have a heart like His.

And it only makes sense that if we want to be like Jesus, we need to seek out His heart, but we also first need to give ourselves to Him. We must first be a living sacrifice, before we can give a sacrifice. I had multiple epiphanies on this subject, but the first being--"Generous giving follows personal dedication."-- Before we can truly be generous, we must first give of ourselves, dedicate ourselves to Jesus. Say yes, or hand ourselves over to what He wants to do with us. All His, for all that He wants to do, or give, through us. We must first give ourselves to the Lord. We must first be His, before we can be anyone else's.

You know what's incredible? That Jesus takes us, uses us, blesses us for using us, blesses others through us, and then shows up through all of that and we get to see what Jesus does and is all about. Our faith is increased through obedience, through what Jesus wants to do, others see and are blown away by how freaking incredible Jesus is. Boom. We get to be freaking(maybe even secretly) incredible too! And we are blessed through it, and God is given glory! 2 Corinthians 9 says:

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality(or generosity or sincerity), which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

This passage touches on the generosity that Jesus is about. We are given and it is multiplied, increased, enriched, fully, and overflowing. But we also get from what we give. And because of Jesus we are able to give beyond our ability. Because of Jesus. Because of Jesus we have what we need, because of Jesus we can "have an abundance for every good deed." Because of Jesus we can sow, but will we reap little or a whole lot? That's up to us. Generosity is proof of our love. Our generosity is an act of grace. God has bestowed on us and so we can bestow on others. It is a response of having been in the presence of God. Give because you drink from the fountain of God's goodness. 

But I've saved the best for last!

We all know the part about God loving a cheerful giver(also found in 2 Corinthians 9), and for years I always took this to mean that we need to give willingly, and it does, because if anything is done without love it means nothing, right? But get this! That word "cheerful"? That Greek word ladies and non-ladies is where we get the word hilarious from! Jesus totally made my day with this. Maybe God has a unique love or friendship with those that generously give(and there are multiple ways of doing that), maybe I believe that God loves a heart that is enthusiastically thrilled with the pleasure of giving. Because that is what Jesus' heart is all about too! And He is hilarious, brilliant, and so crazy good. He knew that our acts of giving-His providing-should be too good, unbelievable. Perhaps those times may even produce some good belly laughter from the cheerful-hilarious moments that we get as we get to give. And others? Yea, I think they'll see it too. Among the definitions for hilarious are extremely amusing and boisterously merry. I think Jesus meant (our) generosity to be of that sort. And that, friends, in itself will point back to Jesus. He's hilarious. And He loves to prove it- and it's our proof-of our love- too!