Generosity requires a shift in perspective.
Two people can see the same scenario in very different ways. One may see a deficit – the other may see a surplus. One may feel like a victim – the other, a benefactor. The first step to becoming more generous is accepting the fact that how you see the world might not be the whole picture, or how God intends it to be seen.
This was the case for me during much of my early 20s. I had a rudimentary understanding of giving. I gave a standard 10% at church. I gave what was left over. A shift in my perspective was necessary.
For me, this shift occurred in 2021 when I participated in my work’s annual backpack drive. In the span of three months, my colleagues and I successfully gave away 1,000 backpacks to households with incomes below the poverty line in 15 out of 24 counties in Maryland. This experience not only shifted my mind’s perspective, but it also shifted my heart.
Here are the three myths I uncovered and three truths I discovered from this experience:
MYTH #1: My financial support is most effective abroad.
TRUTH #1: You can make an impact by giving locally.
My role in the backpack drive was primarily to do research. I created a map similar to the one below using population census data. My research revealed a staggering one million individuals live below the poverty line in Montgomery County, MD alone. This map emphasizes that we don’t have to think only of international options when we want to help others. Jesus illustrates this “proximity principle” in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). By giving to our local church, it helps keep our hearts and prayers rooted in our community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. First and foremost, you can give locally to your family, your church, and your community and change lives right here at home.
MYTH #2: I need to earn more money before I start helping others.
TRUTH #2: Your role is as a steward, and you can steward your resources well starting now.
At the start of the backpack drive, the number of backpacks we needed to raise was daunting for me and my team. The same can be said for people’s perception of what income is needed to start giving. A self-imposed goal of some astronomical number can paralyze us into inaction, causing us to procrastinate in our giving. It is important to remember we are merely returning to God what rightly belongs to Him. “All the earth is the LORD’s and all things therein” (Psalm 24:1). Giving to your church is like using training wheels. It’s a great place to practice generosity. While giving ten percent is a good start, so is giving five percent. You start small, get your bearings, and grow more and more confident the more often you do it. “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). As you grow in grace, you will be eager to give more.
MYTH #3: Large one-time gifts are a sign of generosity.
TRUTH #3: Faithful generosity requires discipline and consistency.
One thing I noticed while tracking donation trends for the backpack drive is that there were a dozen donors, known as the “special twelve,” who contributed to nearly 30% of the 1,000 backpacks raised. The reason for their substantial contribution wasn’t a large one-time donation. It was due to their commitment to consistent giving. I asked one of the donors, a mother of two, how she managed to donate over 20 bags to the drive that year. She explained, “I included it in my weekly budget.” A disciplined and consistent contribution is a regular reminder of where your treasure is and makes a solid impact over time.
My experience with the backpack drive led me from a narrow understanding of generosity – I want to give a huge gift to needy people in other countries when I make a lot of money – to a more profound and impactful practice – I can make an impact by regularly giving to my local community regardless of my income level. My perspective completely changed. I now extend the same challenge to you.
What personal shift might generosity unlock in your life? Take a moment to ask God to reveal to you how you can reflect Christ’s love in an immediate and tangible way by regularly practicing generosity in your local community. Join me in prayer so that we can be instructed in the way of the Good Samaritan, seeing the needy around us and responding with what God has blessed us, irrespective of the gift’s size or worldly value.
“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
‘Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’”
Matthew 25:35-40
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