In our final week of, Living Generously, we turn to an encounter of Jesus in the last few weeks of his life. In Luke 18:18-30, a rich ruler asks Jesus how to obtain eternal life. Jesus quizzes the ruler and finds a person who has allowed his wealth to take prominence in his life. Jesus’ charge, sell all you own, and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, Jesus invites the man to follow Him. But the request proves too difficult, and the ruler walks away disheartened.
Considering this story and generosity, we must ask ourselves a few questions. Does Jesus want us to sell all we own and give it away? Is our eternity linked to giving? The answers to these questions and so many more are found in the lessons of Luke 18. This study considers the heart and how quickly we betray our faith. We have to be careful not to allow this world’s things to become more important to us than our faith in God. Living Generously means recognizing that all we have and all we are belong to God.