For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
“What are we are for in the first place? The fundamental answer…is that what we’re “here for” is to become genuine human beings, reflecting the God in whose image we’re made, and doing so in worship on the one hand and in mission, in its full and large sense, on the other; and that we do this not least by “following Jesus.”
The way this works out is that it produces, through the work of the Holy Spirit, a transformation of character. This transformation will mean that we do indeed “keep the rules” — though not out of a sense of externally imposed “duty,” but out of the character that has been formed within us. And it will mean that we do indeed “follow our hearts” and live “authentically” — but only when, with that transformed character fully operative (like an airline pilot with a lifetime’s experience), the hard work up front bears fruit in spontaneous decisions and actions that reflect what has been formed deep within.
And, in the wider world, the challenge we face is to grow and develop a fresh generation of leaders, in all walks of life, whose character has been formed in wisdom and public service, not in greed for money or power.”
N.T. Wright in After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters (New York: HarperCollins, 2012) 26.
Generosity is a byproduct of God’s work in our lives. It’s what happens when Christ’s character is formed in us. In Pauline terms, it’s a fruit of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). On this Monday morning, if you want to grow in generosity, focus on following Jesus, today, tomorrow, and everyday after that. You won’t need a “why” or a reason to be generous, because this is the only “how” it is produced. The Holy Spirit transforms us from people who seek to be served to people who serve, from people of greed to people of generosity. It’s not our work; it’s Christ’s work in us.