Generosity: An intentional benevolent act that serves to benefit others and reflects the Great God we serve.
The way we relate to others is a big deal for God. He takes it seriously how we are to respond to others. He is especially concerned about how we take care of those less fortunate than we are. There are hundreds of verses in the Bible that talk about how we relate to the poor. We have a responsibility to stand up for them, serve them, care for them, feed and shelter them, educate them, minister to them and make them part of us.
Leviticus 23:22, says, “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God. (NLT)
It was some four to six years ago when Third Day band member Tai Anderson asked Max Lucado a challenging question: "When your great grandchildren learn that you lived in a day in which a billion people were hungry and 27,000 people die every day of preventable diseases, how would they gauge your response?" Lucado is convinced that compassion is the church’s best apologetic. Here is a link to a message he spoke at the Make A Difference Tour, October 2010: Lucado on compassion
We cannot live like Jesus lived without being compassionate.
Sunday, I shared several stories. One was about Scott Harrison, founder of Charity Water. Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all disease and kill more people than all forms of violence, including war. Scott decided to do something about it. Here is a link to his inspiring story: Charity Water
I also mentioned several other stories about a few people who decided to take simple acts of obedience that changed the lives of so many. Here is a list with their websites:
We may not be able to do everything, but we can all do something. One practical thing Centerpointe Church is involved in is Angel Food. Every month people place orders and come to the church to pick up their order. Furthermore, people donate food to struggling families and share with them the love of Christ in a practical way. It’s easy to do, and it makes a big difference. To submit an order for yourself and/or to donate a box of food to others, you can go to: http://www.angelfoodministries.com
On Wednesday, we are going to continue our conversation about compassion and look deeper into what scripture says about it.
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