Model Generosity

We cannot be good in our own strength, but we can allow the presence of the Lord to be expresssed from within us.  We can be challenged by Proverbs 16:
1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.
3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

Our ambition to do the right thing comes from the presence of the indwelling Christ.  Because of the direction of His Word and the prompting of the Spirit, we have the potential to know what to do in the situations we encounter in life.  Sometimes, even though we may be struggling, we can still find the still, small voice, if we are still and, as the Psalm says, know that He is God.  In those quiet moments, we can discover what the Lord would have us to do and we can draw upon the seeds of compassion and desire to please God.

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The call to serve and to reflect the character of Christ is underscored in Psalm 37.  None of us can rightly be called "good," but good deeds are reflected in our lives through the presence of the Lord working through us. Here's a passage from that Psalm:
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.

Yesterday, we talked about Biblical principles that are violated by gambling.  We have to stand against the presence of greed in our lives, and one practical way to do that is to develop a charitable heart.

We can be inspired by the example of a filmmaker who has been known for his honest portrayals of life in America, who has been known for integrating Christian truth into his movies.

His name is Tyler Perry, and recently, he used his financial gain to help someone who had experienced loss.  According to ChristianHeadlines.com, Audrey Turner received a call from the actor and producer after her mother was murdered.   The story relates:

"It was a call I wasn't even going to answer. I said, 'Well, let me answer it to see who it is.' I answered and the person on the other end said, 'This is Tyler.' I said, 'Who?' …[H]e said, 'Tyler Perry.' At that point, I just broke down crying," said Evans' daughter Audrey Turner to WSB-TV.

The four children, two of whom are minors, feared eviction following their mother’s death. But, the actor and filmmaker, best known for his role as Madea, covered their rent. He also paid for two funerals — one in Atlanta and another in Evans’ home state of Wisconsin — as well as tuition for freshman Sharadiant Turner, who attends Spelman College in Atlanta.

The story states that the mother, Tynesha Evans, who was 45 years old, "was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Wells Fargo bank in Alpharetta, Georgia. The alleged shooter was her 58-year-old boyfriend. The Alpharetta Police Department reported that an armed civilian heard the attack and responded to the shooter, demanding that he put down his gun, and waited until the police arrived. Tynesha was taken to the hospital, where she died."

But, this is not a first for Perry. Christian Headlines says that, "According to USA Today, Perry paid over $400,000 in layaway bills at two Walmart stores last December."

I am by no means endorsing the work or lifestyle of Tyler Perry; even though he has been known for his references to faith in film and his personal life, he has faced criticism for not exactly walking the walk. For instance, Movieguide does caution against the filmmaker's latest release.  But I do believe the seeds of faith are there, driving him to do charitable acts such as those I have reported, and that's what I want to drive home.

And, because of the seeds of faith and leadership of the Holy Spirit, people will do the right thing. One of the more recent references to his faith comes in a 2017 piece on the Sonoma Christian Home website, which references his book called, Heaven is Waiting, states:

In his book, Tyler Perry shares how his experiences affected his work, how he nurtured his dreams, and how he discovered solace in nature. Further, he explains his resolute determination to reach ever higher, how he developed an awareness of God, and how he learned to tune into God’s voice. He tells how he persevered through hard times, how he chose faith over fear, and how he developed commitment and service to others. Even more, he explains how has God has guided his life lessons and insights into scripture, as well as why he now shares them with others.

Some takeaways from this story, include the challenge to practice generosity.  The Bible teaches us to look to the Lord, which means that we will look beyond ourselves, outside ourselves, and put the needs of others above our own.  He has been so generous to us, which is something we will commemorate more intensely next week - and He gives us the capacity to love others with His love.  That transcends just being nice, but being concerned and compassionate.

We can also recognize that the seeds of God's Word will produce fruit.  Sometimes that will not be readily apparent, but we can be convinced that where God's truth has been planted, there is the potential for growth, and we may be called to water the seed in a person's life.

All in all, we can look for ways to bless others and to exalt Christ.  God gives us spiritual sensitivity and that can be activated through our devotion to Him and our reliance on the Spirit to direct our steps.