The Seven Victories of a Generous Spirit
Welcome to the new Kingdom Life Publishing website! To commemorate the new site I am launching this seven part series on generosity. I pray it challenges and blesses you on your own journey as a faithful steward.
A few years ago a friend introduced me to a revolutionary idea. In our battle against the enemy, one of our greatest weapons is generosity. You may have never considered generosity as a weapon against the enemy. Neither had I. So consider with me seven victories that we win every time we perform an act of giving that flows from a generous, Christ-centered spirit.
Victory #1 – In the battle for my love between God and money – I choose God
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus made it very clear that each of us will make a choice as to whom we will serve as the Lord of our life. He gave us only two choices, himself or money. Even though we may have read that verse a number of times, it’s sharpness and unequivocal tenor is shocking. We will either hate Jesus and love money, we will be devoted to Jesus and despise money. There is no room for a middle ground. This is the first reason why generosity is such a powerful weapon against the enemy. When we have been set free to give generously as God directs us, we rob money of its power to dominate and control us. Every generous act made in the right spirit is a dagger in the heart of this rival god.
We are coming off of ‘Black Friday’ and entering the busiest shopping season of the year. How desperately ironic that the we commemorate the birth of the one who said, “you cannot serve both God and money” by a season of frenetic purchasing of things people don’t need with money we cannot afford.
If you looked at money through the lens of worship and loyalty, how differently would you shop? The enemy wants to steal our attention away from the manger and onto the mall. Will you let him? Your greatest weapon in this battle is generosity. Take what the world adores and give it away, freely and joyfully. It is our way to say to the world, “In this great battle for my love between God money, I choose God.”
What kind of life do you want for yourself? Do you recognize the chains that keep you in bondage, that rob you of the life God created you to live, that stress you out and wear you down? Are you listening to the lies of the enemy regarding money, possessions, power, pride and praise? Most importantly, do you want to be free?
The loving God who created you has an amazing vision for your life, and it includes a heart of a faithful steward that is opened up to the world through Christ-centered generosity. I pray that you will embrace that life today. It begins with a simple but profound affirmation, “It’s All His.” To God be the glory
