The Backstory of Generosity: The Principle of Generosity

back-sto-ry

noun 

a history or background, especially one created for a fictional character in a motion picture or television program. - Google’s English dictionary

What if we told you that the backstory of generosity isn’t fictional? It’s real and the characters at its forefront lived in real-time. You think you already know what you need to know about generosity? Think again.

In our new 4-week series The Backstory of Generosity, you’ll learn about the biblical birthplace of generosity (spoiler alert: it’s in Genesis!). Find out about its great purpose to bring heaven on earth. Take in how you can live generously via real-life practices and patterns. Finally, discover how you can develop a passion for generosity. Remember, generosity isn’t a behavior, if you are a child of God, generosity is a part of your very being.

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

A principle is a fundamental truth that provides the foundation for what we believe. When we think about the principle of generosity, we must ask ourselves, where did generosity come from? How did it begin? In order to find the birthplace of generosity, we must go back to the beginning of the Bible, to Genesis and the Creation account. 

In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

The Bible teaches that God existed before anything else was created. This means that all that we can take in with our senses was given to us by Him. 

How does Genesis 1:2 describe the earth that God created? In this same verse, who else is present and what are they doing?

In Genesis 1:3, what does God do? 

Many believe that in these opening verses, we are being introduced to God in His Three Persons. There is God in verse 1, the Spirit of God in verse 2, and the first words of God in verse 3. You can read the connection the apostle John made between the Creation account and His encounters with Jesus as the Word of God in his gospel (John 1). We know that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are revealed as divine beings in the Bible. They are individually God and together they are God. This is what the Church has historically stated as the Trinity. 

In the following verses, God, the Word, and the Spirit work in tandem to create the world. What do they create together, according to Genesis 1:4-2:3? As you take in the world around you, what are your favorite things that God created? Think about it. God made human beings to enjoy the world He made. When He created us, He gave us the capacity to appreciate and recognize His work. Think about the five senses that God gave to us. When you consider God’s creation, what is your favorite smell, your favorite thing to taste, the sight you love the best, the most enjoyable thing to touch, the sound that delights you the most? Share your thoughts with God and thank Him.

Why do you think God created the world? Of course, we can’t know God’s thoughts and motives, but we can still consider this question. Perhaps a clue to one of the reasons behind God’s decision to make the world and fill it with beauty, artistry, and intricacy lies in the way humans were made. We read in Genesis 1:27 that God made humanity in His own image. Note that it took both genders, male and female, to complete the image of God the way He envisioned it. Being made in God’s image means that we were made to reflect Him, albeit in a limited way. What did God ask the man and woman He created to do in Genesis 1:28? These are things that humans do in obedience to God, but within these duties there was freedom to make choices and exercise creativity. Why would the first humans apply themselves to their task? Perhaps the answer is that God had imparted some of His generous nature to them. 

What does God give to them in Genesis 1:29-30? This shows His generosity. God completed the work that He set out to do and declared it was “very good” (see Genesis 1:31). He created the perfect environment for the flourishing of all He made. Within each creating thing was the potential for growth and flourishing. There is not only the gift of being and life, there is the sustenance of life. This is no half-hearted gift. This is well thought out and executed. 

We are made to be like God in this way. The first humans, being made in God’s image, recognized God’s generous nature and then gave themselves over to the tasks that were required. We can also reflect God’s nature when we are generous with our lives. God did not hold anything back. We need not either. Think about a time when you were able to be generous with your time, talents, and resources. How did you feel? Did you know the same kind of pleasure that God knew––it was very good. 

Prayer: God, thank You for making the Universe and letting humanity live in it. As people made in Your image, we long to be more like You in how we contribute to the flourishing of the world around us. Help us reflect Your generous nature. May we be able to say that what we offered was “very good.” Amen.

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. How would you define generosity? What do you think of this definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

      a:liberal in giving; open-handed

       b:marked by abundance or ample proportions

        c:characterized by a noble or kindly spirit

Do you think that the Bible adds more to these definitions? How?

        2. Who in your life (besides God) has been most generous with you? Whose generosity had the most impact? We could say that the opposite of being generous is being stingy? What does a stingy person look like?

      3. Discuss John 3:16 in light of God's generosity:

" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

How has God shown His generosity to you? What quality concerning His generosity can you adopt?

      4. In last week's sermon, we talked about how God showed His love in at least three ways:

       a. He shared

      b. He provided

      c. He blessed

What do you think is the connection between the love and generosity?