A Better Way To Live

September 5, 2015 | by | Practical Living, Vineyard

I was on Nantucket Island taking a walk with my friend Steve yesterday and we were talking about how it would be if we didn’t feel we had to grasp and muscle our way through life the way we usually do, protecting ourselves and our stuff because we’re afraid in the end we won’t have enough? We talked about how it would be if we actually lived as though God has a different and better way; an opposite way where living open handed and generously brings the security and contentment all our work, sweat, accumulating and worry is meant to bring us? We talked about how living generously turns out to actually get us everything we really want in life… joy, satisfaction and surprisingly, peace of mind.

A lot of people think that because they don’t have a lot they can’t live generously. But that’s not true. There are lots of ways to be generous that have nothing to do with money or stuff. Here’s just a few I try to keep in mind…

Living generously is about making the people we’re around and the space we occupy better…

I am being generous when I’m encouraging rather than being critical…

I am living generously when I’m able to celebrate some one else’s success rather than being jealous or threatened by it…

I’m being generous when I help others discover what they’re made for and what their good at…

I living generously when my focus is helping others succeed rather than using them for my own purposes…

I’m living generously when I give myself away for the sake of another…

I’m living generously when I’m willing to forgive…

I’m being generous when I’m being patient…

I’m being generous when I make someone feel valuable and worthwhile…

I’m living generously when I look for ways to show kindness…

I’m being generous when I pay someone a compliment…

I’m being generous when I let someone go ahead of me…

I’m living generously when I pray for others…

I’m being generous when I can point someone to a good God…

I’m living generously when I stop to take in the beauty of a sunrise or sunset…

I’m living generously when I take care of the little piece of earth I occupy…

I’m living generously when I’m willing to give away my best…

I’m being generous when I stop talking and just listen to what others have to say…

Generosity is a good question that causes some one to think and discover for themselves…

Generosity is practicing hospitality…

I’m being generous when I say, “Thank you”…

I live generously when I treat each day as a gift…

I live generously when I’m able to slow down and pay attention…

I’m living generously when I can help some one see themselves the gracious way God sees them…

I’m living generously when my life is about finding ways to giving away God’s love…

 

I was on Nantucket Island taking a walk with my friend Steve yesterday and we were talking about how it would be if we didn’t feel we had to grasp and muscle our way through life the way we usually do, protecting ourselves and our stuff because we’re afraid in the end we won’t have enough? We talked about how it would be if we actually lived as though God has a different and better way; an opposite way where living open handed and generously brings the security and contentment all our work, sweat, accumulating and worry is meant to bring us? We talked about how living generously turns out to actually get us everything we really want in life… joy, satisfaction and surprisingly, peace of mind.

A lot of people think that because they don’t have a lot they can’t live generously. But that’s not true. There are lots of ways to be generous that have nothing to do with money or stuff. Here’s just a few I try to keep in mind…

Living generously is about making the people we’re around and the space we occupy better…

I am being generous when I’m encouraging rather than being critical…

I am living generously when I’m able to celebrate some one else’s success rather than being jealous or threatened by it…

I’m being generous when I help others discover what they’re made for and what their good at…

I living generously when my focus is helping others succeed rather than using them for my own purposes…

I’m living generously when I give myself away for the sake of another…

I’m living generously when I’m willing to forgive…

I’m being generous when I’m being patient…

I’m being generous when I make someone feel valuable and worthwhile…

I’m living generously when I look for ways to show kindness…

I’m being generous when I pay someone a compliment…

I’m being generous when I let someone go ahead of me…

I’m living generously when I pray for others…

I’m being generous when I can point someone to a good God…

I’m living generously when I stop to take in the beauty of a sunrise or sunset…

I’m living generously when I take care of the little piece of earth I occupy…

I’m living generously when I’m willing to give away my best…

I’m being generous when I stop talking and just listen to what others have to say…

Generosity is a good question that causes some one to think and discover for themselves…

Generosity is practicing hospitality…

I’m being generous when I say, “Thank you”…

I live generously when I treat each day as a gift…

I live generously when I’m able to slow down and pay attention…

I’m living generously when I can help some one see themselves the gracious way God sees them…

I’m living generously when my life is about finding ways to giving away God’s love…