All of us are motivated by the generous spirit of God the Father, demonstrated in His love towards us in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Verses such as 2 Corinthians 9:7 ring true with us where the apostle Paul encourages us to give from a generous and cheerful heart, not one under compulsion. When we see needs, when we see lack of resources, we desire to intervene.
Often we want to provide the needed resources for others because we have access to those resources – from our own personal resources or from resource rich contexts (churches, agencies, foundations or other individuals). There is nothing inherently wrong with this heart direction. However, it would be good to ask a process question before accessing those resources for others.
Here’s the question: what is the best way to create a heart of generosity in those I am seeking to serve?
It could be that one’s gracious offer of help will stimulate a heart of gratitude among others so that they themselves will do likewise for others. Or, it could be that our generosity might create a dependency that stunts the growth of such a gracious heart.
I’m also not talking just about financial resources. It could be people resources or tangible resources such as building supplies. If we deprive people of the opportunity to discover for themselves how God will provide for their needs, we may train up a disciple who looks more to be served than to serve. Rather than training up one who serves others out of a generous and cheerful spirit, seeking to create that same heart in others
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Thoughts Along The Journey 