YES, generosity
is a matter of the heart more than a
question of some amount and figures. A truly generous
person gives his
whole heart to God in all his dealings, regardless of
whether the
amount involved is big or small. What is essential is
that he
corresponds to
that basic will of God as expressed in the Book of
Proverbs: “My son,
give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways.”
(23,26)
In fact, this
basic will of God was reiterated by Christ
when he was asked what the greatest commandment was. “You
shall love
the Lord your God,” he said, “with all your heart, and
with all your
soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37) A truly
generous person
gives his heart to God whole and entire, not in halves or
in parts.
It is
worthwhile to note that there is a close correlation
between giving our heart to God and delighting in the
ways of God, as
said in the above-mentioned passage from the Book of
Proverbs.
The reason many
people today are not happy with God’s will
and ways is because they have not given their hearts to
God. They
cannot find joy in the will and ways of God.
burdened and tied down by earthly things. Remember Christ
saying, “It
is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than
for a rich man
to enter heaven.” (Mt 19,24) But hearts that are fully
given to God
will always feel light, capable of soaring high in spite
of the weight
of our earthly affairs.
for example, who offered the best things of his crop to
God—“fat
portions from some of the firstborn of his flock”—as compared
to Cain
who only gave some of the fruits of his field. Abel gave
the best of
what he was taking care of, while Cain gave only a
portion of his.
(cfr Gen 4)
Another example
is that of the poor widow who put in the
last two small copper coins she had to live on as
compared to the many
rich men who put in large amounts that were just a
portion of their
wealth. (cfr Mk 12,41-44)
The poor widow
showed greater generosity because with the
two small coins she offered, she actually offered her
whole heart,
since those coins represented her whole life.
Christian poverty and generosity. Both are a matter of
the heart. They
involve the giving of one’s whole heart to God, convinced
of the
truthfulness of Christ’s assurances.
“Seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness,”
Christ said, “and all these things shall be added to
you.” (Mt 6,33)
And in another occasion, he said: “And everyone who has
left houses or
brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or
children or field
for the sake of my name will receive a hundredfold and
will inherit
eternal life.” (Mt 19,29)
Let’s always
remember that God cannot be outdone in
generosity. The more generous we are with him, much more
will he be
generous with us. It’s always a good deal and, in fact,
the best
investment with the highest dividends, if we have to use
some business
terms.
character of the relation between giving one’s heart and
generosity
has been described by St. Paul in the following words:
“Sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing. Poor, yet making many rich. Having
nothing, and yet
possessing everything.” (2 Cor 6,10)
We need to do
everything to give our whole heart to God.
Everyday we have to ask ourselves: “What still do I need
to give to
God today, such that I am left with nothing in order to
have
everything?”
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