“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.”
~ Frank A. Clark
Others may not learn about your generosity, but God knows all about it…
Real generosity
March 20, 2019 | 22 comments
Spiritual ideas that inspire healing
This one is dear to my heart!
Thank you so much for this very helpful perspective. Generosity and nobility are closely linked and are man’s true nature as God’s image and likeness. The Christ is the constant in our lives and is the nobility and generosity we express in an understanding of God and man unrecognised by the world.
Eleanor, this is such a beautiful thought that we are expressing generosity to the world around us by expressing the Christ presence. Every uplifting thought, prayer, or deed we do that is Christ lead is generous to others and though they may feel the gentle presence, they may not know where it comes from. Thank you. I’m more generous than I originally thought. 🙂
Thanks also for sharing those ideas, as they seem especially appropriate for a situation l seem to be in, at the mercy of another, who seems to be consumed by worldly ways and in above their head, and has lost their usual caring and unselfish motives, like a casualty of war. Knowing man’s Christly compassion and purity of thought and nature outshine a temporary, dreamlike state of materialiy and confusion!
Thank you! Evan, you have done something nice for me, but I think you just found out. 🙂
So true! 🙂
And it’s every day!
Thank you Evan.
This reminds us of Mrs. Eddy’s statement about “the good deed done in secret.”
Does anyone have this in context, or do you or could you reference it, possiblly, please? Thanks!
Evan, this reminds me of the writing of Maimonides:
“Maimonides, a 12th century Jewish scholar, invented the following ladder of giving. Each rung up represents a higher degree of virtue:
1. The lowest: Giving begrudgingly and making the recipient feel disgraced or embarrassed.
2. Giving cheerfully but giving too little.
3. Giving cheerfully and adequately but only after being asked.
4. Giving before being asked.
5. Giving when you do not know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient knows your identity.
6. Giving when you know who is the individual benefiting, but the recipient does not know your identity.
7. Giving when neither the donor nor the recipient is aware of the other’s identity.
8. The Highest: Giving money, a loan, your time or whatever else it takes to enable an individual to be self-reliant.
Thank you Terry – and Maimonides: – that is really good and very thorough,
Helping someone to be self-reliant is very very worthwhile (oops, just noticed in time that I had left the ‘s’ off the being of self, and we certainly don’t want anyone to be “elf-reliant”.!!!_)
For instance, what is needed when we see someone begging in the street is to help them to be self-reliant, not just hand them out money. The teachings of Christian Science have many tools to help us do this. Scientific prayer is one of the ways, and although it might seem we are doing nothing because it can’t be seen, God hears our prayer and He answers it in His wise way.
Thanks for this, even when not doing something physical, like money, we certainly can be sharing God’s goodness everywhere, all the time.
All good thoughts and reflect what Jesus said “the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing”!
Perfect, Sallie! The giving reflects the innocence of the giver. When we give from this place, we hardly know we’re giving, as to give is a joyful gift. To give is truly to receive.
This un-selfed giving comes directly from God, right? From holding in thought the infinite Love the Father-Mother has for all Her beloved children, Yes? Even the thought of everyone’s worthiness in God’s eyes is a gift.
I ponder this phrase from a passage of Mrs. Eddy’s I’ve loved since childhood: “Good thoughts are an
impervious armor;. . . And not only yourselves are safe, but ALL WHOM YOUR THOUGHTS REST UPON are thereby benefited.
Thank you, Evan, for your generosity of time and effort blessing so many of us on SpiritView.
Amen!
I think this means checking our motives to see if we are giving to boost our ego and to make US feel Good (It’s all about Me!…) or if we are giving out of just a pure motive to help others….whether they know who the giver is or not. I think that might be the definition of true Love!
I know this is true. I am uncomfortable when someone thanks me for being nice. Nice is natural. Nice expresses man’s true nature.
What a great way to start the day! Thanks to all for your inspiration. Giving from the heart is unselfed giving and needs no reward.
Thanks for all the beautiful comments!
Today someone ask me a high amount of money to loan which I cannot miss actually. He was desperate and I felt uncomfortable. So I find these comments in the right time. Now through these comments especially from Terry I decided to pray for him and of course I have no doubt that he wil receive . And this wil be number 6 and 8 from the list I guess.
Blessings and warm regards
from Italy
I find when I understand more who really provides I don’t worry if I feel I cannot give what is asked. I know that person will be taken care of and I may have nothing to do with. I find that the more I know who provides for me and my family the more I am comfortable giving. But it is something to pay attention to what is truly be asked for and if you will be truly helpful and honoring God.
It is Divine Love that meets every unmet needs and this is Law of Love so I declared this Truth and follow its leading whether I end up giving a material thing or not including the moment of receiving is met with joy and appreciation with no struggle in guilt or shame but always having enough to meet whatever is already the present perfection to be seen and lived. Love never fails to keep us happy and free.