Generational Generosity

Sunday Teaching

May 18

The full video of this teaching is available at the bottom of this post and this link.

In 970 B.C., King David of Israel turned to his leadership team and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself! … “And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected… who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?” (1 Chronicles 29:1-5)

GENEROSITY IS A CHARACTER QUALITY

Generosity consistently seeks ways to augment the causes and lives of those it holds dear and prioritizes. Recognizing the Temple's crucial role as Israel's spiritual hub, David personally contributes vast amounts of his wealth to God's work. This significant offering underscores his deep love for God’s work and his intense desire to pass it on to future generations.

This act inspired others to match his enthusiasm, transforming his individual commitment into a widespread movement of support. “… the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly… The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.” (1 Chronicles 29:6,9)

GENEROSITY IS CONTAGIOUS

When King David was generous, he encouraged others to be generous. His generosity sparked a chain reaction. As he offered his treasures for the building of the Temple, it inspired the leaders and people of Israel to open their hearts and contribute. This wave of giving swept through the entire community, transforming a personal act of devotion into a collective outpouring of support for God’s work!

David’s Prayer of Praise

Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:

“Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom… who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

“O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.” (1 Chronicles 29:10-17)

STEWARDSHIP IS A BELIEF

Stewardship is the understanding that everything we possess is a gift entrusted to us by God, meant to be used wisely and with gratitude. In David's prayer of praise, this recognition is made clear as he acknowledges that all they give back, including the materials for the Temple, are ultimately gifts from God himself. This realization transforms their offerings from mere donations to acts of humble stewardship. David's reflection on the transient nature of their time on earth—like shadows passing quickly—underscores the importance of using their time to honor God’s will. By seeing their contributions as part of God's larger divine plan, David and his people adopt a view of stewardship that reaches beyond their own lives.

Verse 21 continues by telling us that the next day, young, inexperienced Solomon became King and a beneficiary of his Father’s generosity.

GENERATIONAL GENEROSITY

Solomon witnessed his father’s deep commitment to Israel's spiritual and physical well-being through his significant generosity in preparing for Solomon to build the Temple. When Solomon began his reign, his dad’s generosity became generational!

Under Solomon's leadership, the Temple was built, symbolizing a peak of spiritual hunger in Israel. Solomon's contributions and his ability to motivate his people to support the construction reflect the values instilled by his father! Solomon’s generosity culminates at the dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 5-7), where he displays financial generosity and a spirit of inclusive celebration.

The generational generosity observed in David's preparation for the Temple and Solomon's execution of the project encapsulates more than just the physical construction of a significant religious edifice. It represents a legacy of faith, leadership, and community spirit, profoundly influencing Israel's spiritual life and leaving a lasting imprint on subsequent generations. This story powerfully illustrates how generational generosity can mold the character and destiny of the next.

EARTHQUAKE REVEALS THE CHARACTER OF GENEROSITY

In the early hours of February 4, 1976, the earth beneath Guatemala trembled with a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that left a swath of devastation, flattening buildings in the city and villages around the country that were never designed to withstand such a force. Over 22,000 people died and 126,000 more injured. Among the most brutal hit were the indigenous villages where the destruction was nearly complete. Stick, adobe, and block homes crumbled into rubble. The rock and mud roads to the villages crumbled and were now choked veins of the earth, blocked and unyielding, leaving the people in the mountainside villages in desperate need of evacuation and help.

Into this chaos drove Manuel Solis, a man whose own circumstances were humble, financially living week to week, yet driven by a character of generosity and compassion to help his fellow Guatemalans. Manuel knew the crumbled roads well, and his generosity, combined with his experience, was about to turn those destroyed roads into a lifeline. His tiny van was far from ideal, but it was all he had, and it had to suffice. Manuel brought hope with every trip into the mountains, ferrying stranded villagers to safety and returning with supplies.

For weeks, this rhythm of evacuating people in desperation consumed Manuel’s life. Each trip brought new stories of resilience and gratitude, which fueled Manuel's resolve. Knowing the hum of his tiny van approaching, villagers often gathered, helping to load their few remaining possessions and loved ones. Manuel’s selfless acts offered immediate relief and reminded those he helped that generosity and community endure, even in the face of overwhelming disaster.

Manuel Solis’s generosity was contagious. He also believed in stewardship for his entire adult life. He always gave his meager tithe to the work of God through his local church, which continued to grow his generosity.

Manuael Solis’ daughter, Damaris Solis Kellogg and me.

Today, people still tell his daughter, Damaris, how her dad helped so many after that earthquake. That’s what makes his generosity generational! His daughter has also been a faithful steward of her income since she was seven years old. When her grandmother gave this under-resourced Guatemalan girl a little money, she tithed on it! Damaris, my Guatemalan friend, has personally served through at least seven natural disasters in Guatemala: earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and mudslides. She is also the one who facilitates Newstart’s compassionate ministry work in Guatemala. Her dad’s generosity became generational with her, continues through her daughters, and, by extension, through your generosity through Newstart!

EXPERIENCING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

How many of us Ohians recently walked out to our porches to view the northern lights and were sorely disappointed just to see a slight, barely visible pink or purple haze in the dark sky? Then, you wake up the following day and look at your neighbors' pics on social media. You see in their pictures the brilliant colors of the rainbow as dancing curtains in the night sky. You thought to yourself, “I didn’t see that!” Well, for the most part, they didn’t either; their camera did.

When photographing the night sky, a phone with a long exposure feature can gather more light, accentuating faint colors and details typically unseen by the naked eye. This explains why your friends’ photos may appear dramatically more vibrant and impressive than you observed firsthand.

You see, the northern lights were there, but you needed the right equipment to capture their beauty. If you stayed in your house, you'd have no clue how spectacular the Northern Lights can be. If you stepped outside and looked up with just your naked eyes, you might have noticed a hint of their presence, but it likely wasn't impressive. However, if you ventured to an area with minimal light pollution and equipped yourself with a camera set for long exposure, you could fully enjoy the breathtaking Northern Lights experience!

THAT IS HOW GENERATIONAL GENEROSITY WORKS

Hearing about your grandparents' stewardship of God’s resources and their generosity to others is like staying in bed during an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. You know their generosity was present, but you’ve only heard about it. Then, observing your parents' generosity is similar to viewing the sky from your front porch. The true impact of their stewardship might not always have been visible to you. You see a beautiful, colored haze in the sky, but you're not fully experiencing generosity's grandeur.

However, actively engaging in stewardship of God’s work and showing generosity towards others is akin to journeying to Tromso, Norway. Situated in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, Tromso is among the best places in the world to witness the Northern Lights.

Seeing the Northern Lights from Tromso is like nothing else. The sky lights up with vibrant colors that move like they’re dancing just for you. It’s that same overwhelming sense of beauty and awe when you think about David’s prayer on stewardship and generosity. Just like those bright colors in the dark sky, his words shed light on how giving not only lifts others but deeply enriches our lives. It’s about seeing the full, vivid impact of what generosity can do when we commit to it wholeheartedly. This is contagious to our friends and can be passed down to the next generation!

How has the example of generosity set by your ancestors influenced the stewardship and generosity you live out today?

If generosity is not a hallmark of your family history, will you start an example of stewardship and generosity now?

RESOURCES TO EXPLORE FURTHER

Stewardship Path - Article
Becoming Generous - Video
God Doesn’t Want Our Resources - Video

Greg McNichols