Growing as Generosity Vessels

“Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.” (2 Chron. 9:8, NIV, bold emphasis mine).

The above words flowed out of the mouth of the queen of Sheba. She was overwhelmed by the extravagant blessing she was observing in the life and reign of King Solomon. These words of hers were so weighty that they got included in the canon of Scripture. They reveal vitally important truth.

Within her overflow of praise we find this beautiful gem of wisdom: the reason God blessed Solomon extravagantly was His love for His people. In other words, the king’s extreme prosperity was not primarily about him. It was about him being a channel of God’s goodness to God’s kids.

You and I don’t live in a palace like Solomon’s. But this same principle applies to our lives. God wants to bless us so we can be a blessing to others. I believe that Christian maturity includes the desire to be openhanded with people in need. Not having a vision for growing in the ability to give to others… is nearsighted. It falls short of the “life to the full” that Jesus wants to give us (John 10:10). 

God desires that we would live out this promise: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever’” (2 Cor. 9:8-9).

As we can see from this Scripture, giving to the poor is an essential part of the “good work” He wants us to “abound in.” Not only this, but we see in verse 9 that He counts this kind of giving as eternally precious righteousness. Living a life of generosity towards those in need goes down in God’s books as a legacy that “endures forever.”

Let’s not stay content with our current ability to give. Here is God’s vision for us: “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and… your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (vv. 10-11). 

Our good, good heavenly Daddy wants to pour blessings into our lives, providing “all things for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6:17). However, we stunt our own growth when we make these blessings primarily about us. Instead, a life poured out for His kingdom is where true joy is found. 

May He increase our supply of seed every year until He returns, that we might be generous on every occasion! May we find great joy in imitating His glorious generosity, in ever increasing measure!

“I will exceedingly bless and prosper you… so that you will be a tremendous source of blessing for others.” (Gen. 12:2 TPT).

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For reflection: Solomon’s position of influence was all about God’s deep love for His people. What influence has He granted you in your current season of life? Do you sense His love for those people whom your life influences? Do you see yourself as a channel of His love and blessing to them?