Generosity Beyond Borders

Kingdom Living — a daily choice to reflect the generous
heart of God in how we live, love, and serve.

By Daphne Sidney, Superintendent of Australasia
Logan, Queensland, Australia

Kingdom Living begins with a foundational question: Who is the King of the kingdom we are living in? As disciples of Christ, we declare that Jesus is our Lord and King (1 Corinthians 12:3).

It is difficult to fully grasp the gravity of what our King has done for us. Jesus willingly entered our world and, with generosity beyond borders, emptied himself of his divine privileges to become human. His life was marked by radical, self-giving love — even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:7–9). Ordained from the beginning, Jesus’ shed blood reveals his generous love, cleansing sin and offering eternal life (I Peter 1:19-22).

Living in Communion 

Jesus Christ is central to all our understanding. In becoming one with humanity, Jesus revealed the Father and made a way for us to be united with him — and through him, united with the Father, by the Spirit. Living in joyful communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is at the heart of Kingdom Living. It is in this deep place of abiding in Christ that we find true fulfillment. From this life-source, generosity, love, and care for others naturally overflow.

The Generosity of Christ 

To learn Kingdom Living from Jesus is to recognize that his entire life was an expression of love. We love because he first loved us. Jesus poured himself out — the Greek verb, kenoun, meaning “to empty,” carries the sense that “the pouring out of something until nothing is left.”^[1] This is the ultimate expression of generosity.

Paul exhorts us to adopt this same mindset:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 ESV