Month: July 2024

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Generosity and Discipleship

As we grow in our relationship with God one of the things that should grow in us, is generosity.

Generosity is a willingness to give, share, or contribute freely without expecting anything in return. It involves acts of kindness, compassion, and selflessness directed towards others. 

Generosity goes beyond material possessions and can include giving one’s time, attention, support, or even emotional understanding. 

Being generous is not solely about the quantity or value of what is given but rather about the spirit and intention behind the giving.

The genius of generosity is in the way God created it to work. Acts 20:35 sums it up in this simple but powerful phrase, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 

God designed generosity to bring joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose to both the giver and the recipient. 

However, because God wants us to be generous, He made giving more rewarding than receiving.

The best model of generosity is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who embodied the essence of generosity during His time here on earth. 

His life and teachings provide an extraordinary model of selflessness, compassion, and sacrificial giving. Through His actions and words, Jesus demonstrated the depth of God’s love and the transformative power of true generosity.

How Jesus modeled generosity

  • Compassion for the Needy: Jesus displayed immense compassion for the marginalized and suffering throughout His ministry. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and embraced the outcasts, showing that generosity extends to meeting both physical and spiritual needs. 

Let’s be compassionate to the needy like Jesus

  • Forgiveness and Grace: Jesus exemplified radical generosity by extending forgiveness and grace to those who didn’t deserve it, including sinners and even His own executioners. 

Lets forgive and extend grace like Jesus

  • Sharing Spiritual Truths: Jesus freely shared His wisdom, teachings, and spiritual insights with His disciples and the crowds. His generosity in sharing divine truths continues to bless and guide believers today.

Let’s share the truth of the Gospel like Jesus.

  • Teaching on Giving: Jesus taught about the importance of generosity and selfless giving. He commended the widow who gave her meager offering, emphasizing that true generosity is measured by the heart’s willingness to sacrifice. He also encouraged His disciples to give to those in need without seeking recognition or reward.

Let’s give like Jesus taught us to give.

  • The Gift of Salvation: Jesus’ ultimate act of generosity was offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. By willingly laying down His life on the cross, Jesus provided the greatest gift of all—salvation and eternal life—for anyone who believes in Him.

Let’s live our lives for Jesus and show his love and generosity to others.

Since Jesus is the perfect model, we should be doing what he did. By imitating Jesus’ model of generosity, we can reflect His character and bring His transformative love to a world in need. 

No, we aren’t Jesus, and we’re not always going to get it right all the time, but by aspiring to live generously by His example, we can make a difference in those around us and the world.

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5 Benefits of Volunteering

With most of us leading super busy lives, the idea of volunteering – giving your time and energy to a cause without financial reward – may seem an impossible task. I mean, how can we fit anything else into our already jam-packed schedules? However, volunteering is important for many reasons and doesn’t have to take up too much time. And, in fact, the benefits of volunteering are vast for the volunteer – not just the church, community, individual or organization receiving their assistance.

It was surprising to me to find out that only about 25% of people in America volunteer on a regular basis. For many people the idea of adding one more thing can be overwhelming, but the value it can add to our world and to your own wellbeing is immense.

Jesus said that he did not come to be served but to serve others. Volunteering is important as it offers essential help to worthwhile causes, people in need, and the wider community. It’s a way that we can follow the example of Jesus, and add value to the world around us.

So, what are the benefits of volunteering?

  1. Volunteering helps to give you a sense of purpose. There are many good causes in this world. I am a Christian so volunteering for organizations that have this same belief is important to me. If you are a believer, your local church is a great place to volunteer, because you can help them make a difference in peoples lives by joining what they are doing. There are many faith based organizations that are doing amazing work. When you serve it brings a sense of meaning and purpose, knowing that you are helping to make a positive impact in the lives of other people.
  2. Volunteering is important for physical and mental health. Interestingly, volunteering has distinct health benefits that can boost your mental and – perhaps more surprisingly – physical health. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that people who give their time to others might benefit from lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan. A research study project from Carnegie Mellon University found that adults over 50 who volunteered regularly were less likely to develop high blood pressure (hypertension) compare to non-volunteers. Hypertension is an important indicator of health as it contributes to stroke, heart disease and premature death. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn combats against feelings of loneliness and depression. Human beings are hard-wired to give to others, and by measuring so-called brain activity and happiness hormones, researchers have found that being helpful to others can deliver great pleasure. 
  3. Volunteering connects you with others. If you’re feeling lonely, isolated, or simply want to widen your social circle, volunteering in your local community is an important – and often fun – way to meet new people. In fact, one of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together, and volunteering lets you do just that. Furthermore, it connects you to people who have common interests and passions and who could go on to become great friends. 
  4. Volunteering allows you to use your gifts and abilities for others. We all have gifts, abilities and talent that God has given us. Using that to help others is so rewarding. It feeds back into that idea of purpose. We are here for a reason, and a big part of that reason is to love and serve other people.
  5. Volunteering helps you forget your own problems. One other benefit of volunteering is that focusing on others can give us a deeper sense of perspective and help distract us from negative thoughts and help stop rumination (focused negative thinking). Volunteering often involves helping those in need and can be useful in showing us that, in fact, our own lives are not as bad as we thought they were. It also reminds us that we are not alone in this world and that all of us can make a difference by simply choosing to volunteer.

Next week I’m leaving to go love and serve with Eight Days Of Hope in Buffalo NY. This is the fifth year of serving in that city. Every year 8DOH goes to a new district within the city and does home repairs on 100 homes. New roofs, porches, windows and doors, painting the exterior, landscaping or small household repairs. They also will revitalize a park or school that is part of that community. This year I’m going with a team of 7 people from my church. We will serve alongside 1,600 other people from all over the country. We will not only work on homes, but we will pray with the homeowners and neighbors. We will share the good news about Jesus with people we come into contact with. We will bring hope and help to an entire community, and we will make new friends and connect with old friends.

I hope you will consider volunteering somewhere on a regular basis. When you make time for that it’s so rewarding, and it helps you to grow, stretch and even get healthier. Take the step of volunteering today.

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Six Characteristics of a Servant Leader

When it comes to leadership, a lot has been written and said. Our world needs more leaders. Not just leaders but servant leaders. People that are willing to give themselves to an important cause. People that are willing to sacrifice and make this world a better place. Leaders that see their role as serving, building up and developing the team around them. Leaders with a different mindset, one focused more on others, rather than on self.

Of course every successful leader has to have a vision of where they are going or what they are trying to accomplish, but how they lead that vision can vary widely.

Servant leadership is characterized by a belief that leadership development is an on-going, life-long learning process. Having a growth mindset of continuous development of self and others. Once a servant leader has a vision or embraces a vision, they can pursue that vision in many ways. Building a team is a huge part of the success of any organization, and then how to develop that team to accomplish the vision.

So what do I mean by servant leader? There are many characteristics that I have observed in great servant leaders over the years. No leader is perfect, and all leaders have areas of strength and weakness. Every leader also has a voice and a style they use in leading the people around them. Here are a six characteristics that I think are vital to be an effective servant leader.

  1. Calling – Do people believe that you are willing to sacrifice self- interest for the good of the group? Servant leaders have a natural desire to serve others. This notion of having a calling to serve is deeply rooted and value-based. Servant leaders have a desire to make a difference for other people and will pursue opportunities to impact others’ lives — never for their own gain. A servant leader is willing to sacrifice self-interests for the sake of others. This characteristic cannot be taught, so unless a person has a natural calling to serve, servant leadership is not a realistic or compatible style.
  2. Growth – Do people believe that you are committed to helping them develop and grow? Servant leaders have a strong commitment to the growth of people. They believe that all people have something to offer beyond their tangible contributions. Servant leaders work hard to help people in a number of ways — spiritually, professionally, personally. Those who want to be great servant leaders need to connect to others’ developmental needs and actively find ways to meet these needs.
  3. Stewardship – Do others believe you are preparing the organization to make a positive difference in the world? Servant leaders often are characterized by a strong sense of stewardship. Stewardship stems from medieval times when a steward would be assigned to hone the skills and development of the young prince to prepare him for his reign. The kingdom relied on the steward to teach and hold the prince in trust so that he would be a successful king. Today the term stewardship involves many of the same things. A steward in an organization is responsible for preparing it for its destiny, usually for the betterment of society. When we describe a leader as having a strong sense of stewardship, we refer to a desire to prepare the organization to contribute to the greater good of society — not unlike preparing the prince to serve the greater good of the kingdom. Making a positive difference in the future is characteristic of the stewardship mentality. Those who desire to be excellent servant leaders need to have a natural sense of stewardship. If you don’t naturally have a stewardship perspective, it is unlikely that the servant leadership style will come naturally to you.
  4. Empathy – Do people believe that you will understand what is happening in their lives and how it affects them? Servant leaders can “walk in others’ shoes.” They understand and empathize with others’ circumstances and problems. Leaders who are empathetic have earned confidence from others by understanding whatever situation is being faced. This characteristic is a skill that comes more naturally to some people than others, but it is pertinent for all who aspire to be a servant leader.
  5. Listening – Do people believe that you want to hear their ideas and will value them? Servant leaders are excellent listeners. They are receptive and genuinely interested in the views and input of others. People instinctively understand that servant leaders want them to share their ideas and that these ideas will be valued. Listening is a skill that can be learned and is essential for those who desire to be a servant leader. Without good listening skills, many of the other characteristics cannot be achieved.
  6. Healing – Do people come to you when the chips are down or when something traumatic has happened in their lives? Servant leaders are people who others want to approach when something traumatic has happened. They have developed a remarkable appreciation for the emotional health and spirit of others. They are good at facilitating the healing process and others gravitate toward them when emotional needs arise. The ability to create an environment that encourages emotional mending is crucial for those who want to become great servant leaders.