Chosen for Generosity

God’s calling on our lives, and particularly his calling to a life of generosity, is predicated not upon our goodness but upon God’s grace for his glory. In the animated film Klaus (directed by Sergio Pablos and Carlos Martinez López, Netflix Animation, 2019), a lazy, spoiled young man named Jesper is sent to the forsaken town of Smeerensburg to be the isolated village’s new postman. While serving in his new post, Jesper meets a burly toymaker named Klaus, who eventually recruits Jesper to help him deliver presents to the children of Smeerensburg. Jesper is not elected to be Klaus’s special helper because of his impeccable character or his pure intentions. In fact, Jesper’s main goal is to get out of Smeerensburg as fast as possible! Instead, it’s the generosity, graciousness, and greatness of Klaus that enable Jesper to be used in an incredible way. The same is true for all those who are elected by God and are called according to his good purposes. Our election is based on God’s generosity, not our own. Likewise, the work of generosity to which we are called is to be done not for our glory but for the glory and honor of God.