Author: Alex Cook | Wealth With Purpose.
What does TRUE Generosity look like?
One of the reasons I believe our Churches have lost their saltiness is that many of us don’t actually know what true generosity really looks like. It should be something that we find easily recognisable. Here’s what it could look like in your own life:
- Transformed Life – where we go from a place of self-centredness to Christ-centeredness. Which Church doesn’t want to be full of people ‘seeking first his kingdom’?
- It is Extravagant – Jesus showed us the ultimate act of generosity, by dying for us on the cross. The famous passage, John [3:16] says “God so loved the world that he GAVE…… What did he give? His son! Wow!
- It is Regular – We don’t give once and tick the generous box. Generosity is a lifestyle. It is regular, it is a good, healthy habit.
- It costs something – To be generous we need to be willing to forgo something. Perhaps its time, or perhaps its money. But what is truly amazing is that not only does God promise to award us in eternity, but also he promises to meet all our needs.
In 2014 I met an amazing Pastor. Despite being of modest financial means she had given away four cars. She saw people who were in need, such as single mothers and she was moved to give her car away. That is faith in action! That is true generosity. How many of us have or would be even willing to give away a car?
In the same year, I had the privilege of meeting one of the Directors of arguably Australia’s most successful Private Equity Firm. He earned in one year, what most people earned in a lifetime. But rather than indulge himself he was using the resources at his disposal to change culture. He had started a film school to help train up the next generation of Christians to impact the Arts. Across the road from the film school, he’d established a coffee shop with a Christian woman in charge who was hiring prostitutes to help them up and out of the sex industry. Behind the coffee shop was a Church he’d planted. That’s a smart use of his God given provision!
My point is this, whether we have a little or a lot, we can be profoundly generous.
What is the Destination?
The bible says we are made in the image of God. When you look at the way so many humans behave, you’d think there was something wrong with the reflection! Nonetheless Jesus came as the restorer. He came to help restore us to his original design.
The goal of our stewardship is to become ‘rich toward God’. God is to be front and center in our life, he must be first, our focus and our passion. When we live this will be on the path to being generous the way Christ is generous.