Contagious Generosity
Editor’s note: This article was excerpted from Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard. Although intended primarily for church leaders, the truths apply equally to those longing to experience the joy and fulfillment God intends for His children as they exercise true biblical generosity.
True giving is not an economic exchange; it is a generative act. It does not subtract from what we have; it multiplies the effect we can have in the world.
- Kent Nerburn
If there is one behavior that constantly surprises people, it is the act of generosity. We both travel a lot. We tip hotel staff and even help out people we meet along the way. Sometimes we choose to do this well beyond expectations. We don’t do this because we have been blessed with an abundance of financial resources. Nor do we do it just because we want to feel better about ourselves. We love to give, because giving is an opportunity to pass along the joy of our faith in Christ. We share with others in a way that has been modeled for us by other believers and by the God who gave himself for us.
The greatest way to change the world, Gandhi once said, is to be the change we wish to see in the world. We believe that this wisdom gets at one of the key reasons why generosity is contagious. When we are generous, it creates an experience that leaves both the giver and the recipient different than they were. We can stand by and watch other people giving generously and be inspired by their actions. But when we ourselves choose to give freely, not only is monetary currency exchanged, but also an intangible currency is passed from recipient to giver, a currency so powerful that it inspires both people to form the habit of giving.
When a church operates out of the belief that there are limited resources for the work of ministry, it operates at less than full capacity. It places limits on the dreams that are pursued. It restricts the ability of its people to think beyond what is currently believed to be possible. It minimizes ministry potential to the limits of available resources. This creates a “scarcity” mindset, rooted in a fear that one day we will run out of resources. Worse, when church leaders operate with this sense of scarcity, their behavior trickles down to the person in the pew. During recent times of recession, we heard many leaders talk about holding on to what they had. Sadly, we saw some congregations embrace their financial fears and stifle their faith. Instead of asking what God might do in the midst of challenging economic circumstances and dreaming up new opportunities to proclaim Christ, they limited their dreams by cutting budgets and scaling back ministry—and limited their potential for spiritual growth and community impact.
Churches that practice a contagious level of generosity don’t see or acknowledge limits. They begin with a foundational belief that we serve an all-powerful, all-knowing, and always-present God who creates resources when they don’t exist. Contagious giving is rooted in faith, and it remains open to the impossible. The paramount question is not, What do we need to cut to survive? It is, What is God calling us to do next? If the God we serve is not bound by our human limitations, then he certainly isn’t limited by our cash flow—or lack of it! We must remember that when God calls us to do something, he has already equipped us with the resources we need to do what he asks of us—even if that means depending on him and growing in our faith.
Faith & Finance Perspective
Take a few moments to ponder the last sentence above: We must remember that when God calls us to do something, he has already equipped us with the resources we need to do what he asks of us—even if that means depending on him and growing in our faith.
Have you ever sensed God nudging you toward something—but you immediately dismissed it because it seemed too unattainable? That it would require far more resources than you currently possess or could possibly attain? That it must not have been God at all because He knows there’s no way you could possibly pull it off?
In Exodus 4, when Moses repeatedly tried to convince God that he was not capable of what he was being called to do, God asked, “What is that in your hand?” Moses answered, “A staff”—a simple walking stick. As Rev. Timothy Benefield notes,
Throughout the Bible, God had a wonderful habit of using whatever a person possessed if that person would simply yield it to God. Among many other items, God used a stick, a coat, a fish, a couple of pennies, a slingshot, a jawbone, a rock, and some loaves of bread. The almighty Creator of the universe is able to use any ordinary object that is yielded to him in faith. The process is not complicated.
Examine your hand – God asked Moses, “What is that in thine hand?” Each person only needs to examine what they personally have. It doesn’t have to be grand, majestic, or even what the next person has. God simply wants to know what you have. Whatever you have is enough for God to do something miraculous.
So, the next time God invites you to take a step that feels well beyond your leg span, remember that He will never call you to do something He hasn’t already equipped and resourced you to do. Trust Him and take the next step, even if it feels like a leap.
Now may the God of peace . . . equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Hebrews 13:20-21