Keith Battle - GENErosity

I want to use for a few moments the topic of GENErosity. The Apostle Paul is speaking to church leaders at a time not very different from today—a time when people were very selfish, greedy, and self-centered. Their focus was more on what they could get from somebody or what they could extract from a situation rather than on what they could contribute. What’s in it for me? It was happening in the church, it was happening among church leadership, and it was happening in the culture. He comes along and challenges them, saying they need to be generous. He addresses three main points: first, if you’re going to practice generosity, you must first start by not coveting what others have. You must be willing to work hard before you can be generous.

The reason I emphasize the term «generosity» and focus on those first four letters is that the English word «generosity» comes from a Latin root that actually means «of royal birth.» That’s what generosity means; it indicates being of royal birth. For all of you who are joining us right now in this post-Christmas season—everyone who has been born again and is part of the family of God—we are all of royal birth, possessing a genetic disposition toward being generous, toward giving. In fact, we are most like our progenitor, God Himself, when we give, because the greatest giver ever is God. Thus, to be generous, we simply need to act out of our nature.

Many people seem to grasp this concept around this time of year, as even now, there are still wrappings from gifts all over the house. Gifts abound because people understand this is the season when we celebrate the greatest gift ever given: the gift of eternal life, which was fulfilled when the Son of God became incarnate and came to Earth. It makes sense. But if we indeed have a genetic disposition toward generosity, we should be generous throughout the year, not just at one specific time.

There are three points from the passage that I want to revisit, which I believe must precede our becoming generous people by nature. The first is, and I will summarize it, in verse 33, he states that we need to be aware of covetousness. In verse 34, he reminds us that we need to work hard; and finally, in verse 35, he points out that it is actually more blessed to give than to receive.

Let’s start by discussing covetousness. Coveting, in biblical terms, is not just admiring what someone else has; it is wanting what they own. I don’t mean I want something similar to what you have; I want specifically what you have. I want yours. I don’t want something like yours; I want yours. That is coveting.

What coveting does is, first of all, make us want something that belongs to someone else, while also causing us to become unappreciative of what we already possess. Anyone who is coveting cannot be generous because coveting puts me in a «get» mode, an acquisition mode. I want what you have, and this is a very dangerous mindset. Paul had to say, «Listen, I do not covet anything that belongs to anyone else—no one’s gold, silver, or clothes. I don’t covet anything that anyone else has.»

I want to start by asking a question—I will ask you six questions throughout this conversation. The first question is this: can you honestly say and admit that there is something or someone that belongs to someone else that you desire? I want that to sink in for a moment. Is there something or someone that belongs to someone else that you want? You don’t want something similar; you want what they have. If that’s the case, just confess it to God. Don’t go in the chatroom saying, «Yeah, I want somebody else’s wife, or I want somebody’s husband, or I want somebody’s car.» Just confess it to God and say, «God, help me with this. Help me to repent.»

Now, the second part of that question, in light of the first, is this: is there something or someone you possess that you are not appreciating, especially considering that you desire what someone else has? Are you ungrateful for what you have? The connection between wanting what someone else possesses and being ungrateful for what you already have is crucial. You will always feel ungrateful because it starts with comparisons.

Put that word in the chat right now: comparisons. Comparisons get us into trouble because our entertainment media and social media have made us ravenous for the filtered versions of others' lives. We chase after what people show us, but a filter never portrays the full picture. Thus, we often desire something that isn’t even accurate, not even a complete representation. There’s an old saying that goes, «All that glitters is not gold.» In fact, broken glass glitters as well, but sometimes you won’t realize that until you get close enough to see it.