Growing in Generosity

I’ve never dealt with food insecurity. If anything, my life has been marked by too much food. Right now after a weekend, barbecue, and Halloween, there are more calories in my kitchen than I could possibly safely consume before they expire.

When it comes to calories, my goal right now is to impose restrictions upon myself, so that I can remain healthy and active.

This makes it very hard for me to be as empathetic as I should be with the millions of people in the world who suffer from food insecurity. The abundance I just described would sound like a slice of heaven to millions, including many in our own community.

When Brian Tinsley from Schultes Elementary is here, he reminds us that elementary students in our own community, live in cars and our homeless. The school provides breakfast luncheon dinner for some because that’s their only hope to get a meal.  In Washington, 688,170 people are facing hunger - and of them 197,550 are children. face hunger. 1 in 8 children face hunger.

This is why we are introducing the “Peter Fish“  generosity campaign this weekend. 

Peter Fish are plastic banks we'd encourage you to fill with loose change, or dollar bills into over the next few weeks. They are a big visual reminder of an even bigger, but hard to see, need around us.

How do we build generosity?

First, by studying the Word of God. The Bible is very clear. That generosity is a godly and Spirit-motivated virtue. The early church was challenged to take care of the poor in the widows. Paul collected an offering for the church in Jerusalem as they were going through a famine and facing poverty.

Secondly, I’ve found that gratitude helps spark generosity. When I find myself increasingly grateful for what I currently have, I am less inclined to forward my money and resources, so I can acquire what I Long for. I’m thankful for the clothes I have, I don’t need to hit the mall to buy another outfit. If I’m thankful for the car, I have, I can save myself hundreds of dollars and car payments. If I'm developing an ongoing attitude of gratitude, I'll be enabled to free up resources for generosity. 

A final way to grow in generosity is to remember that God ultimately provides.  If I’m grateful for the provision that God has for me, then I can hold my money loosely, knowing that God will provide. I remember that I'm a grateful steward and that God is the owner of everything I call "mine."

As we begin to enter the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it will be very tempting to direct all of our money and time toward making sure our own family has abundance. I’m already getting toy catalogs and seeing cool things to buy the baby.

Let’s encourage each other to direct our resources to those who are in need. The Sunday pick up a Peter Fish, and let's grow in generosity together.

With You;
Pastor Tim