The Power of Generosity
What follows was originally published in my book Pray Big for Your Life.
On April 16, 2007, the day of the tragic shootings on the Virginia Tech University campus, I was standing on the exposed foundation of a building in Chalmette, Louisiana. I was there with two elders from our church, meeting with a local pastor. The foundation was all that was left of his church’s building. It had been completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The pastor, Derek Buchert, was making a valiant effort to reclaim all that the storm had taken. His hometown of Chalmette had been completely devastated by the storm. In the year after Katrina hit, most of the churches had decided to relocate in other, less flood-prone areas. As a result, there was no spiritual voice in the town. The residents were left to face their despair and devastation with no church support. In the year after the storm, the suicide rate in Chalmette was the highest in the country.
Derek and his wife, Bonnie, refused to leave. They knew that God had called them to the area and that they had to stay. They chose to suffer the hardships of rebuilding after the storm with the people who also remained behind. But they had no place to meet. The little prayer chapel on their campus that the storm had spared was too small to house their church. They needed a new space—but they couldn’t afford anything.
While we were standing on the foundation talking and praying, Derek pointed to an empty auto repair shop across the street. It would be the perfect location for Derek’s church to move into while their building was being rebuilt, but the owner wanted far more in rent and finish-out costs than the church could afford. That’s when the spirit of extravagant giving–the kind shown by Mary when she poured out her costly perfume on Jesus’s feet–kicked in. One of the two elders from our church immediately got on his cell phone and started making calls. Within the hour, he had approval from our missions team to officially adopt Derek’s church as one of our sponsor ministries and he had commitments from the members of his small group to fund the lease on the repair shop—three thousand dollars a month—for an entire year.
Within a few weeks Derek was able to move his congregation into his new and fully furnished facility. They also began offering the only functioning children’s ministry in the area. Today, the church is growing, lives are being given hope and spiritual encouragement, and families are being discipled. The ultimate impact of that one elder and his small group’s generosity will be impossible to measure.
That’s how giving works. It spreads, grows and multiplies. It gives hope and encouragement. And, it changes lives.
Lord, Teach Me to Give
Are you willing to pray the spiritually revolutionary prayer of asking for a giving heart? I don’t believe that generosity just happens. Unless you’ve been gifted with the spiritual gift of giving, becoming an extravagant giver like Mary might be a struggle for you. It isn’t always natural to look for ways to let go of your resources. Conventional wisdom teaches that we should hang on to what we have, not release it. I’m just greedy and selfish enough to be tempted by the allure of more. That’s why I pray for a generous spirit. That’s why I’m asking God to teach me to give. I want to be a giver, but I know I won’t become truly generous if I don’t invite the Holy Spirit to change me.
Pray for a generous, giving spirit. Pray for a heart like Mary’s that looks for opportunities to give extravagantly to the Lord Jesus. Pray that you will sow generously, give cheerfully and that God would equip you to be a blessing to others (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Pray 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 for yourself: Lord, I pray that as I give, those who are blessed by my giving might overflow with thanks to you. I pray that your people might be led to praise and bless your name because of the gifts you’ve allowed me to make.
Discussion Questions
Would you describe yourself as a generous person? Why or why not? Is giving finances to your church or other ministries a priority? Why or why not?
How cynical are you about churches and giving? How much baggage do you have about preachers who are always asking for money?
What reasons do people give today for not giving to churches? List as many reasons as you can and be as specific as you can.
This chapter mentioned several benefits of and reasons for giving. Which do you think is most important or compelling? Why?
What do you think would happen in your life if you started praying for a generous Spirit? How might your life be different?
After reading this chapter, how are you going to pray differently for yourself?
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