By: Clint fisher, upper elementary principal

Making resolutions and breaking them seems to be part of everyone's experience each new year. We even have a day, January 17, set aside as day to break the resolutions we just made. Why do so many of us lack follow through? What is so different about those who do follow through and find success? What resolutions are actually worth devoting the effort and time to accomplish? 

After listening recently to a podcast by Dr. Tim Keller, I was challenged to be generous. My first thought was, "I've got this." I looked at my gifts, strengths, and resources and started thinking about how I could be generous. The problem with my approach was that I was looking to find areas of surplus in my life … those areas where I have reserve. Essentially, I was looking for easy ways to be generous.

Christlike generosity

As the challenge was explained further, I was encouraged to look at areas of weakness in my life and give out of need rather than out of abundance. This challenge became more and more difficult until I abandoned my initial confidence like a New Year's resolution and stated, "Who can do this?"  

So, what was the challenge? To show real, Christlike generosity.

No, I am not talking about giving some significant percentage of my income or time. The challenge was for me to rest in what Christ has done for me and trust in Him so that I may be generous in areas where I am weak … and ultimately bring Him glory.  

challenging our hearts

Here are a few questions to gauge your heart and spark your own challenge to find areas in your life where you will not be able to be generous unless God satisfies and transforms your heart with the real and living gospel. 

Relational Generosity:  

• Are you giving friendship to get something in return, to be thought of well, to gain righteousness, or because you think friends will satisfy your deep needs? 

• Are you giving anger, hurt, or frustration when you are not receiving what you want or need from the other person? 

Emotional Generosity: 

• Are you responding, reacting, or living out of your own fears, worries, wants, frustrations?

• Are you able to give steadiness to that irritating, rebellious, needy, selfish person in your life?

• Are you deescalating situations because you want control?

• Are you giving others a safe place to be raw in their emotions and struggles? 

Generosity of Time: 

• Are you protective of your personal time for rest, relaxation, hobbies, or work?

• Are you willing to give up planned time for the interruptions of others?

• Are you willing to actually be present when spending time with others or are you thinking through your list of to-do’s, needs, or wants? 

Four Steps to christlike generosity

Are you willing to take a four-step challenge to grow in Christlike generosity?  

1. Find an area in which you struggle to be generous. 

2. Ask God to reveal what keeps you from giving (i.e. what you are wanting or trusting to meet your needs other than Him). 

3. Ask God to help you trust Him to meet that need. 

4. Start giving to others within that area of your life and watch the gospel come alive.

There ARE opportunities for generosity in our words, our attitudes, our hopes and dreams, our money, our expectations, our responses, our love … the list is endless. Let’s ask God to help us Give with Christlike generosity this year.