November is one of my favourite months. Not only is it the month of Bonfire Night, my husband’s birthday (I love a celebration!) and an integral part of the build up to Christmas, but it is also the month when we are encouraged to celebrate generosity and its impact on the world.
After years of seeing the power of generosity as a financial adviser, ordained minister and fundraiser, this is an area is I am hugely passionate about, and after some miraculous God prompting, I have written a book, with the invaluable input of a multi-denominational survey, on this subject.
It is part of God’s nature to be generous and to give, and 100% of those surveyed believe that He wants us to be the same, that this is part of our discipleship journey, part of us becoming more like Him; we should emulate what He has modelled.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made this profoundly and perhaps uncomfortably clear when He said: “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:40 – 42).
That’s a tough ask, but it’s one we are all capable of in our own way.
In Matthew 25 we are told, in reference to feeding the hungry, offering welcome to the stranger, clothes to the naked and support for the prisoner, that whatever we do for those in need we do for the King.
James 2:15 – 17 builds upon this: “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
In my time as a financial adviser, I had a client who looked for an organisation to bless at the end of each tax year. One year he did this by buying a helicopter for a well-known health organisation. That was his level of generosity. In my book there is a story about a lady who struggles financially but saves her pennies to purchase the ingredients to bake a cake for those in need within her community.
Both are great examples of generosity that reflect very different circumstances. The common denominator is that the gifts weren’t given lightly. Whatever we give to God, He can bless and multiply. Think of the little boy with the loaves and fishes, a supper for one that feeds thousands (Matthew 14:13 – 21), or the widow in 2 Kings 4 with the debtors at her door and nothing to her name but one jar of oil. God meets her need by filling every possible jar she can find with oil.
Our generous God makes the impossible possible. When we partner with Him in this way, when we place what we have in His hands, giving back a percentage of what He has given us, amazing things can be achieved. Over the years, I have helped raise millions of pounds by asking thousands of people to support many good causes. Alongside this, I have been (and still am) on a personal journey of learning to listen to His voice, responding whenever He prompts me to give generously, recognising and giving thanks that this is a moment to step out in faith and to become more like Him.
Generosity comes in all different guises and is a lifelong journey that often spreads and infects others, which has the potential to impact individuals, churches, communities, even a nation, for the glory of God.
As we journey through the month of November, I want to challenge you to embark on or adopt a new level of generosity.
"Our generous God makes the impossible possible."
A recent report by Stewardship reveals that Christians in the UK give an average of £73 a month, equating to 3.2% of their income across all causes, including their churches. With this 3.2%, churches throughout the UK are feeding the hungry, breaking the chains of oppression and setting the prisoner free. They are addressing poverty through funding foodbanks and addiction via rehabilitation centres, sharing the good news by running toddler, youth and Alpha groups, and so much more.
Dream with me for a minute and imagine a world where every believer mirrored what God has modelled and was outrageously generous with what they had. What a world it would be!
You can discover lots of inspiration for your journey of generosity in my book, which is available online or in some Christian bookshops. It is also part of The Big Church Read.
