Article August 7, 2017 Issue

Spiritual identity and inherent generosity

Gayle M. Weber

A long time ago I heard someone comment, “May I always be ‘rich’ enough to be generous.” That comment has stayed with me as a sort of guidepost for my own actions and decisions.

As a student of Christian Science, I have asked myself, “How ‘rich’ is rich enough to be generous?” Well, true “richness” isn’t related to money or other financial resources; the essence of richness and generosity is deep within the heart. And our spiritually pure heart, and the heart of all, reflects infinite, divine Love, God, for it is most certainly the consciousness of divine Love in which “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

I have also considered this question: “What is the opposite of generosity?” Of course, I realized the opposite of generosity would be selfishness. But the question of being either generous or selfish is more than just a decision to keep something we have or give to another. It’s bigger because that decision comes from how we identify ourselves—either as limited mortals, separate from God, or as God’s cherished ideas, who reflect unlimited and infinite good.

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