Grace + Gratitude = Generosity

Psalm 103:^1-2 “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”

How will your life look if it overflows with thanksgiving? In answering this question, the first thing we see is When GRACE Flows In. The second thing is, GRATITUDE fills up. Third thing is, GENEROSITY flows out! When a life is filled with thanksgiving what flows out is generosity. A totally grateful person is an extremely generous person. When grace comes into your life, your gratitude fills up and your generosity flows out. The truth is, when we realize that we get to live a life we do not deserve, we are filled with gratitude and become more loving and generous people. We get to be friends of God, how can we possibly deserve that?

In Luke 7:36-50 (please read), a woman the Bible describes as sinful came to Jesus. In the presence of other men, she knelt down crying, using her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet, as she kissed them. Here is what happened next. Luke 7:^39-43 “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” …Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.”

Jesus shows us that there is a direct link between generosity and the depth of gratitude. Luke 7:⁴⁷ “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” In other words, because grace entered, gratitude filled up, and generosity poured out. Luke 7:⁴⁶ “You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.” She was generous with her love and affection, and she gave. If you are in a relationship and you do not give, you are not generous with your love, gratitude is low, and grace is missing.

When grace comes in, gratitude fills up, and generosity pours out. There is a direct link between the generosity of my love, of my possession, to the depth of my gratitude. And there is a direct link between the depth of my gratitude and my understanding and embracing grace. So, when your heart has been transformed by grace and filled with gratitude, you cannot help but begin to express it in acts of love and generosity. But guess what? It all starts with grace. Receive the gift of God’s grace today.

Prayer: Father, thank You for transforming me with Your Word, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!