“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all
who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God…” – John 1:11-12
The entire Christmas story revolves around two powerful elements: giving and receiving. In arguably the most famous Bible verse of all time, John 3:16, Jesus is telling a man named Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He gave His Son that we would receive eternal life. This was the most generous act in the universe and perfectly describes God’s attitude towards us. Jesus was literally born to give His life so that we may receive His forgiveness for our sins.
Know this: God is not mad at you. He’s not standing in the corner, judging you for what you have done. It is God who initiated the plan for your salvation before you were even born. You were bought with a high price, and there’s nothing you have to do to measure up: It’s all God.
It’s because of God’s generosity towards us that he also calls us to live a life of generosity. He doesn’t bless us so that we can keep it to ourselves; He blesses us so that we can pour into others. You are blessed so that you can be a blessing for others! We truly believe that God is calling us to a new level of generosity. Here are four declarations we encourage you to declare over yourself as you go into this next year:
I
I choose to receive Christ’s spirit of generosity.
II
I choose to be trustworthy with Gods Blessing.
III
I choose to act in a new level of generosity this year.
IV
I choose for generosity to be my lifestyle.
You can put this generosity into action now! We invite to take part in our I Love My City event this Saturday at PCTA by purchasing unwrapped gifts for boys and girls, ages 0-12. We are believing for 1,000 gifts, and together we can make that happen! God blesses us to be a blessing to others.