Bible Verse
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Most of us would say we're generous people. We give to causes we care about, help friends when they ask, and try to be kind when we can. But what if our generosity has invisible walls around it—lines we've drawn that decide who gets our help and who doesn't? Today we're going to take an honest look at the guest list behind our giving and ask God to show us the gardens we've been walking past. This matters because how we choose who deserves our kindness reveals what we really believe about God's kindness toward us.
Short Devotional
Jesus told a story about a man who was beaten and left on the side of the road. A priest walked by. A religious leader walked by. Both had good reasons to keep moving—they were busy, they had places to be, they didn't want to get involved. But a Samaritan, someone from a group the listeners would have looked down on, stopped and helped. The point wasn't just about helping strangers. It was about who we decide deserves our help in the first place.
We all have people we're willing to pour into and people we quietly pass by. Sometimes it's based on whether they'll appreciate it, whether they "deserve" it, or whether they'll ever be able to return the favor. We may not say it out loud, but our actions reveal a guest list—an unspoken ranking of who gets our time, money, and care. What would change if we asked God to tear up that list and show us the gardens we've refused to water?
Read more about The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father,
I come before You knowing that You see everything—including the parts of my heart I try to hide.
You know who I help and who I ignore. You see the names on my invisible guest list and the ones I've quietly crossed off.
I confess that my generosity has boundaries I never admitted to myself. I have walked past people who needed me because I decided they didn't deserve my help or time.
I have withheld kindness from those who couldn't pay me back. I have watered some gardens while letting others go dry.
Forgive me for thinking my generosity belonged to me in the first place. Everything I have comes from You. Your Word says that a generous person will prosper and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Help me become a soul of blessing—not someone who only does generous things when it's easy. Open my eyes to see the gardens You want me to water, even when they're not on my list.
Give me the courage to pour out for people who can't give anything back. Teach me to see every person the way You see them—worthy of love, worthy of help, worthy of my best.
I trust that as I water others, You will water me in return. Not because I've earned it, but because You are always faithful.
Thank You for never once crossing my name off Your list, even when I deserved it.
In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
Journaling Prompts
What would it feel like if God used an invisible guest list the same way you sometimes do? How does His unconditional generosity toward you challenge how you give to others?
What fears, past hurts, or disappointments might be shaping your invisible guest list? How might God be inviting you to trust Him enough to water a garden you've been avoiding?
If you had to name three people you naturally pour into and three people you tend to pass by, who would they be? What do these two lists reveal about your hidden criteria for generosity?
May this week be one of honest reflection and holy disruption in the best way possible. As we ask God to reveal the gardens we've been walking past, let's trust Him to expand our hearts and our hands beyond what feels comfortable. God's generosity toward us has no guest list—and that truth can change everything about how we give to others.
Until next time,
May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May He make His face shine upon you;
And be gracious to you and give you peace.
God Bless!
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