Christmas is an amazing time of year. The lights, trees, decorations, celebrations and even "Merry Christmas" is making a come back. The love and joy of the season is poured out in so many ways, generosity is definitely one of those ways it is shown.
As Christians we should recognize that everything we have has come from God. He supplies freely and generously so we ought to not fear being generous. God will not be outdone by our generosity.
Paul stresses this idea in Romans 12:13
"distributing to the needs of the saints,...."
The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul challenges us to "distribute" the tense and the root of the word encourages us to continually give financially to help those less fortunate than we are. I know many in America feel they are poor. Around the world many in the third world survive on $3/day or less. Even the poor among us are much more blessed than even many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in India, Central Africa, China, and many places in South America. We are challenged to recognize we are blessed and should trust God to supply not fearing being generous.
The Holy Spirit stresses our main priority here too, the saints! We are to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ first as they are our family. It doesn't mean that we don't care for others but as 1 John 3;17,18 states
"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
God has been so generous to us, Paul is simply stressing that we have been blessed for a reason. I believe that reason is because He trusts us with blessing and expects that we will be genius to others.
Know that with every gift, every donation in the offering, every dollar in the kettle you are fulfilling a command from God and he will not be outdone by your generosity. Look for the blessing coming back.
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