Put into action the generosity that comes from your faith.

Philemon 6 NLT

Faith can be important for us to find peace in the middle of a hard time. It can bring us joy, but is it also more than just about how we feel?

What if our faith could help us to find life and growth in kindness, compassion, and – perhaps most importantly – generosity? What if being generous actually made us truly happy?

Here’s some (small) ideas to get you on your way…

It’s about time

Life can be very busy. School, college, deadlines, work, family commitments… the list goes on. The idea of giving up our time for other people can feel strange. After all – we hardly have any! And what we do have is precious. How often do we put our own needs and wants before others? What might it look like to give someone our time and attention?

Sharing is caring

Sometimes we can get a bit precious about our possessions. The idea of letting someone borrow our favourite book or something we really value can seem all too much – will it get returned to me? Will they look after it? We can so easily get protective of our ‘stuff’. In Acts 2 we see people taking a very different attitude to their stuff, serving each other in a radical way. They meet up, share meals, share money, sell their property and possessions and give to those in need. We may not be able to go this far, or we may not think we have very much, but how different would our world look if we were more open and more willing to be generous with our stuff?

Attitude and actions

Jesus gives us a truly great example of generous living. He showed us what this kind of lifestyle looked like. There was no half-heartedness with his sacrifices, no lukewarm feelings, no ‘maybe later’ or second best – he gave it all. Our attitude to one another determines our actions. We’re all invited to live generously. And it’s our choice how we respond to that.

Challenge!

Put a £2 coin in your pocket. Carry it with you, and rather than spending it on sweets, your lunch or a drink, look instead for the opportunities to impact someone’s day.

We need to be ready to be generous. This week’s challenge is all about putting that to the test. Does it change the way you look at the people around you? Are you more aware of their needs? Are you surprised at how you feel about giving up your money and time to bless someone else?