Generosity & the Gospel

Last Sunday, some families loaded up a car full of kiddos dressed in their Easter best and sped to church. Others colored eggs, enjoyed a quiet afternoon, or cooked a delicious meal for the family (or perhaps allowed Applebees to do the cooking this year!).

No matter how you spent Easter Sunday, all Christians are challenged with this question today: How do we live out the Gospel, the message of Jesus’ resurrection, in the mundane, difficult, and normal life of this week?

In a recent conversation with Sylvia Plumb, Ten Talents Foundation Board Member, she shares that living generously is one of the most practical ways to carry out the Easter message today.

What does generosity have to do with the Gospel?

“The Lord brings people along our path who we can choose to share our time, attention, and resources with,” says Sylvia. 

How do we respond when a friend in need interrupts our busy schedule? 

Are our thoughts oriented toward impressing others or serving them? 

Do we view our money and assets as status symbols to be held or gifts to be shared?

In a society where time is money and money is success, a willingness to give either freely is radically counter-cultural.

Sylvia has been in the mortgage business for over 30 years. She is honored to assist many people with their home financing needs, viewing her career as an opportunity for generosity.  

“God has given me the ability to use the home loan industry as a mission field- it’s my marketplace ministry,” says Sylvia. 

The Lord has provided many opportunities for prayer in Sylvia’s “Marketplace Ministry”. As Sylvia has taken the time to truly see people and hear their stories over the last three decades, she has been able to pray with countless individuals and couples facing hopelessness or discouragement.

Instead of focusing on how many meetings she can fit into a day or what kind of reputation she can build in the community, Sylvia views her work as an opportunity to love people.

“Knowing every good and perfect gift is from God [including my career] makes me feel blessed to be a little part of other people’s journey,” says Sylvia. “One of my favorite Bible passages about this topic is in 2 Corinthians 9.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God…

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (emphasis ours)

When we choose to be generous with our time, attention, or resources people may ask, “Why do you live like this?” Generosity opens the door to share the Gospel, the good news about the One who produces a giving heart.

How can we cultivate lives of generosity?

“Ask God to see people through His eyes and love through His heart, and look for opportunities to be generous!” says Sylvia.

The premise of the Easter message is: we need God. We need supernatural help to live the life He has called us to. We don’t have to work harder to become “better” people or give a certain amount of money so we are now deemed “selfless.”

2 Corinthians 9:11 says you “will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous.” God is the Only one who can produce Gospel-reflecting, selfless generosity in us.

We are not generous so that we can be blessed or earn God’s favor. We are generous because God enriches us to do so.

Staying connected every day to our ultimate Provider through prayer, community, and His Word is where this all begins. God is the One propelling a movement of generosity in the Central Valley (& beyond) for eternal impact. We just have the incredible opportunity to be part of HIS movement.

As we think about living out the Gospel message this week, Sylvia encourages us to start with prayer. “Ask that the Lord will transform our hearts in prayer to generously share our time, talents, and treasure to draw others to Himself.”