Generosity as Freedom from Loneliness
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, allow your Holy Spirit to reach our hearts today and take in these words of your wisdom.
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.
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:11-15 NIV
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 NIV
REFLECT:
One surprising strength of money is its power to isolate. It has an insidious way of filling my field of vision so that it becomes my focus, at the expense of other things or even other people. When I am focusing on prioritizing wealth and future security, I have less time to spend connecting. Whether it’s the guilt of having ‘too much’ or the embarrassment of having ‘too little’ I feel unable to articulate these things with people close to me. I can even be tempted to think that the more I attain, the more power and control I will have. Not only does that put me in a constant cycle of craving more, but it introduces a level of superiority making it even more difficult to relate to others and see the beauty in them. I can buy so many things with money, but what I can’t buy is genuine human connection and that is something my heart deeply craves.
Every day we are bombarded with questions about money: Should I spend it on this or that? How do I save well? How and where should I give? Yet, most peer groups I’ve been part of didn’t want to speak about money for fear it was a taboo topic. I understand that fear, because sharing my thoughts could open me up to their judgment or make me a target for donations. However, by not speaking about things, we sometimes give them more power over our lives. We can’t learn how to free ourselves from the power of money if we don’t talk about it. We also miss the opportunity to participate in God’s provision through us, to do wonderful things together with the people and organizations we support.
The thing is, I don’t want to be lonely. I want genuine human connection where I can talk about what's on my heart and feel safe, heard, and united. So, I go to the place I love: the Bible. There’s a reason why Jesus spoke about money so often – it has the power to isolate but it also has the power to connect.
Matthew 6:24 teaches us that it’s impossible to love both God and money, which means that I am always choosing whether my heart is focused on money or on God’s love. Relationship, community and genuine connection are more valuable than any amount in a bank account. I would much prefer for my heart to be united with others who are doing good things in this world. We only have to look at Jesus’ warning that it is easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than to enter heaven, to be reminded that choices around money are tough. They have always been tough. But we are not alone. By my generosity, others can rejoice as they experience God’s provision. I get to play a role in someone else’s joy. Generosity is the thread that weaves us together.
APPLY:
If Jesus spoke about both the isolating power of money and the freeing power of giving it away, surely we can speak about it too. Perhaps today you could reach out to a friend and discuss some of the ways focusing on money has left you feeling isolated, and invite them to share their own experience with you.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Jesus, allow us to look for ways to reach out to others and share and be generous. Amen.
WORSHIP: