George Bailey and the Generous Life by Chris White

 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.  Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  Lk. 6:37-38

It’s a Wonderful Life is one of America’s best-loved Christmas films of all times and is certainly my second favorite (A Christmas Story being my number one).  The movie’s hero George Bailey, continually sacrifices his hopes and dreams to help his family and community live a better life.  But George then faces a crisis so deep that he attempts suicide.  His attempt is thwarted by a guardian angel named Clarence who uses the rest of the film to help George realize that the sacrifices he made all along the way have in actuality made him the richest man in town.  Obviously the story is more complex than that but I don’t want to ruin it for you if you have yet to see it (and you really should at least once in your life!).  George Bailey’s life illustrates so well the rock solid principle of the universe that the Lord Jesus teaches in Luke chapter 6: what a man sows is what a man shall reap.  The key thought is treat others how we would ourselves want to be treated.  There is no iron-clad guarantee that every person will return the favor, but as a general rule and ultimately we will receive back what we give in full measure.  The judgmental, condemning, critical person will receive the same in full measure as will the generous and uncritical person.  The question we all should be asking ourselves is what sort of judgment would we like to receive from the Lord Jesus when we go before his throne for evaluation?  Would I prefer a generous review or one of great scrutiny and criticism?  I’m pretty sure I know what your answer would be, but the reality of that moment will not be determined by your preference but rather your choice in how you treated the people in your life.  Depending on your choice, the words “by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” are either a source of comfort or cause for concern.