2024 Advent Devotion: Day 12

Thursday, December 12

Isaiah 12:2-6, Amos 6:1-8, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

After a long day of teaching class, answering students’ questions, and grading assignments, it’s time to go home. While I am trying to make dinner and thinking about the list of things I need to do before bedtime, my daughter asks for help with her chemistry homework. And what is my first response? As you can imagine, it is not one of generosity. Even though I do help her as we spend time understanding how to use dimensional analysis for conversions, in the back of my mind I am still thinking about what I need to accomplish. Outwardly I am generous, but my heart is not in the right place because instead of being joyful that I can help, I am wondering how long this is going to take before I can get back to my agenda. Sound familiar?

As we prepare for Christmas, most of us find ourselves busier and more distracted than ever. It is easy for us to embody a spirit of frustration instead of a spirit of generosity when our time and energy are stretched too far. Maybe like me, you find yourself ungenerous in the time you spend helping others, or maybe instead you are ungenerous with your finances, or your compassion for those in need.

Either way, God calls us to have a true spirit of generosity. But how do we do this instead of being focused on our own time and money? In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul celebrates the Macedonian church for being generous to others despite their own hardships. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” The church helped their neighbors so that all could be equal, with no one having too much or too little. But these people did not give out of their abundance. They did not wait to give until they were making more money or had more time to give to their neighbors. Instead, they gave generously from what little they had so that those in need could have enough.

As we reflect on God’s word, the themes of joy, justice, and generosity stand out in the verses for today’s devotion. The passage in Isaiah calls us to remember that our true source of joy and salvation comes from God, and we should share this joy generously with the world. Amos calls us to avoid selfishness and instead consider how our personal blessings should result in justice and compassion for others. And finally, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians challenge us to adopt a spirit of radical generosity, reflecting the grace we have received as children of God.

As we celebrate the Christmas season, let us adopt a spirit of true, radical generosity and concern for those around us. We can generously share our blessings, blessings of wealth, opportunity, time, knowledge, or compassion with others. By doing this, we allow the profound joy of Jesus Christ to overflow from our hearts. So, how will you give generously today?

Abby Garlock
Professor of Nursing