Shaken Down Generosity
The Lord has been really on me about generosity. Without much thought, I have considered myself a “generous” person; I’d even say generous to a fault. It often feels easy to share my time, talents, and treasures with others. I have come to wonder if ‘generosity’ is an easily glazed-over facet of virtuous living. If we share, and share willingly, we check the box.
Earlier this year I completed a 16-week Spiritual Direction program. Each week was assigned a theme and scripture to accompany that theme. With each scripture, I probed God’s will for me. It was incredible what stood out to me within these passages, some of which I’ve read many times before. Most often, my prayer time went rogue. When my mind goes rogue during a Scripture reading, it always ends up in research. What does that metaphor mean? Why did they use it? What are they saying? And why is it important that I know?
During week 14, I was exploring my personal knowledge of God and the love of the Father when I ran into an old friend, Luke 6. Luke 6 is a continuation of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and includes many well-known teachings. In verse 38, Luke writes, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” I am sure you’ve heard Luke 6:38 before, just like I had, and likely it was used to discuss monetary giving. But on this day, I wanted to know what we were packing, why we were shaking, and what was in our laps. Per usual, I took to the google.
A minister online offered the following visual: “In marketplaces Jews would purchase grain or other granular products. They would pull up their outer garment from below with both hands, outstretched from their sides to form their garment in a bowl-like shape. The merchant would then pour the grain into the lap of the buyer and press it down. Then the buyer would shake the grain together to make room for more. Finally, the seller would top off the grain if generous.”
Generosity has very little to do with wealth or financial giving. While it is essential to that, it stands alone as an attitude of the heart. True generosity is not just the initial give. It’s the shaken-down giving. The giving of the more you don’t have to give or from what you don’t want to give. The seller certainly does not have to top it off… he chooses to.
It was week 14 when I really started evaluating my own well of generosity. If something feels easy to give, is it considered generous? At what point am I having to draw from the well?
Josh and I were both gifted the generosity of a Granny. When you arrive, they start giving – food, drink, conversation, gifts, love, and probably dessert. While you eat, they are still asking if you want anything. And, as you leave, they usually send you off with things and, still, offer more. A good Granny gives with good measure, shaken down, and overflowing.
This type of generosity translates into so many everyday moments.
When it is bedtime, is it enough to just tuck my kids in? Bedtime often looks like tossing them in bed so that I can be “done” with the day. Children usually have emotional needs and important things to share as they mentally wrap up the end of their day. Can I or should I extend more support at that moment? Can I draw from a deeper well?
When I am in conversation with someone, am I offering them my full attention? I operate at such a fast pace and am so capable of multi-tasking that I often forget that humans in my life are not tasks and do not deserve to be juggled like one. Am I making eye contact, putting aside distractions, and carving out the space for them to be fully present to me? Can I draw from a deeper well?
When I am presented with the opportunity to talk negatively about someone, am I making the sacrifice to avoid gossip or judgment? There is generosity in choosing to avoid this temptation. By making the sacrifice to avoid what is easy and do what is holy, you are living generously. In what ways can I love more generously? Can I draw from a deeper well?
When I have a few minutes in between the next thing to do, can I willingly give those minutes to God or do I fill them with something mindless like scrolling social media? God desires the generosity of our time in the same way as the other relationships in our life. What meaningful things am I doing to foster that relationship? Can I draw from a deeper well?
There are so many opportunities in our daily lives for generosity in charity, forgiveness, patience, perseverance, and more. Like the seller, it is my prayer to continue to learn how to generously top it off.
