The Choice of ExcellenceSample

Be Excellent In Generosity

“Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us —I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” ‭‭2 Corinthians ‭8:7‬ ‭NLT

We are naturally selfish. We are not naturally generous. Generosity is something the Holy Spirit wants to bring forth in our life. Here, Paul commends the church in Corinth for their excellence in faith, speakers, knowledge, enthusiasm, and love. He goes on to add that he does not want them to use their excellence in these areas to be an excuse not to be excellent in giving. 

One of the dangers of excellence in any area is that we use it to shadow places that need to be improved. We should be thankful for the places where we have already found success. We should also be diligent in becoming what Christ desires us to be in areas that have not yet quite arrived.

Giving is an act of grace. In spiritual terms, grace is defined as: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification. In human terms, when we practice generosity, we are extending grace to others. We are offering “unmerited assistance”. 

Excellent generosity does not give because it is deserved or earned. Excellent generosity is shown because it is grace. May we practice the grace of generosity.