“Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone…The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities…
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him [or her] as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life…”
Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest reading for 20 September.
On this Labor Day (and every day) may our generosity not be good-doing but God-like because it is the fruit of His grace at work in each of our hearts and lives.