Reflecting the goodness of God

We sat in this predicament for what seemed like an eternity – an especially stressful eternity for anyone hoping to get to the dentist on time! I sat there yo-yoing between thoughts of, why doesn’t he just drive on? and, why on earth did she get on my bus? 

In the end, however, the deadlock was broken by a simple act of generosity.

A stranger on the bus stepped forward, presented his card to the machine, and paid for the passenger’s ticket. There was a word of thanks, a few looks of surprise, the driver seemed happy, and we were on our way – finally!

The book of Proverbs seems to have a fair bit to say about the power of generosity, often grounding it within the relatable narrative of what it means to be a generous person. For example, we read in Proverbs 11:25:

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (NIV)

And it’s the preceding verse, made even more famous through Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message, which reads:

“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” (MSG)

I wonder if you’ve ever noticed this to be true? I think I have. One of the many blessings of being a pastor is the opportunity to participate in the lives of others. It doesn’t always feel like a blessing, but at the intersection of life and pastoral ministry, you meet all sorts of people with all sorts of stories to tell. And there’s so much to learn.

My first real meeting with Graham was at his invitation for a coffee. I’d just taken on the leadership of a church and was slowly working my way round to everyone. He’d taken the initiative and, rather than waiting for me to arrange something, he’d got in touch saying he’d pick me up from church one afternoon. He didn’t tell me he’d be picking me up in his classic 1960s Aston Martin sports car! I’ve never really been a car person, but after going out for coffee with Graham, I decided I could become one quite easily!

One thing I’ve learned about generous people like Graham is that their generosity somehow encompasses their whole way of life. It’s not just limited to one aspect or dimension. The world of the generous does indeed appear to be big, only limited by the extent of the many ways their generosity is shown.

Graham was one of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever met. His was a rags to riches story in which his humility and gratefulness to God was abundantly evident. He spent time with people, got stuck in helping others, opened his home to those in need, and shared his faith with everyone he met. He was most definitely a faithful and generous steward of all that God had given him – including the Aston Martin.

Graham had made a promise to God that whenever a wedding was announced at church, he would offer the bride-to-be the opportunity to be driven to her wedding in the Aston Martin. This arrangement worked brilliantly, until one of the ladies in church announced she was getting married in Poland. But guess what, Graham, undeterred in his generosity, drove to Poland and made sure the bride-to-be made it to her family church on time! Wow! That’s the world of the generous.

Most of us don’t own classic sports cars or have the time for a road trip across Europe. We do though have the ability to reflect the generosity and goodness of God through the everyday conversations and things he has blessed us with. And I guess that’s where it’s at. It starts with an attitude, a decision to reflect something of God’s love towards the lives of others.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)