Generous Friendship

Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!

“Honey!” Luna’s mom poked her head in the door of Luna’s bedroom. “I just talked to Mrs. Jones on the phone. She said you’d given Annamarie your Darcy doll.”

“She didn’t have a doll, Mom, so I thought I’d give her one of mine. I still have more,” Luna explained.

Her mom sat beside Luna and put an arm around her shoulder. “I’m a little surprised, since you loved that doll. But I understand your desire to be generous with a friend who doesn’t have one.”

Luna hugged her mom back. “So many people have given me nice things, Mom. Jenna gave me that game I loved, and Aunt Dana sent me a new dance leotard. Mrs. Tate brought me over banana bread yesterday. I just wanted to share the love—like you and Dad have been teaching me.”

Luna’s parents have been teaching her about the importance of watching for the needs of others and looking for ways to meet them. She has experienced generosity in friendship and wanted to be sure to pass it along to others. It’s a valuable trait in friendship, the ability to share what we have with those around us. The Bible says that some people just want more and more, but the godly are eager to give! We’ve probably all known others who were stingy or greedy, but that is not what God asks of us as Christians.

There is more than one way to share with others. We can be generous with our time, our encouragement, our prayers, our listening, or even the things we have, like Luna’s doll. No matter how we share, when we are giving, we show others the love of God in us. It’s a skill we can develop no matter how young or old we are.

Things to Think About

• Who has been generous in friendship to you? How were they giving toward you?
• Who have you been generous toward? In what ways have you shared with them?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Find a way to be generous (with your time, words, or possessions) in friendship toward someone else.