When we are generous with our finance we are actually bringing God’s economy into play on the earth and this is a part of the Lord’s prayer to bring his Kingdom to the earth.
As we are generous and make this part of our lifestyle as Christians we discover that God’s economy and his Kingdom ways frees us up to live in a way that we not only are stress free about finance, but also we can become a blessing to the nations.
What I have learnt over the years of being in faith and finance ministry is that my family has been on the receiving end of great generosity. My wife and I have received so much that has enabled us to live and to serve God in the calling He has on our life. It's also in living this lifestyle of praying for finance that God has challenged me on how generous I should be. He has shown me that just as I have received much generosity over the years that he calls me to the same actions of generosity despite at times it seemed like we didn’t have enough to live on.
It is when we take up the command to be generous that we activate God’s economy and see His Kingdom invade our earth and our understanding around finance.
I remember God teaching me about his economy through the very vivid vision of a flourishing healthy life giving river. In the vision he spoke to me about how the waters of his river flow from Him and make their way all the way through the different parts of the river and bring life to each part along the way. In that same vision God then showed me that same picture, but this time with each section of the river there was a human made damn sucking the life out of the river until it was no longer flowing. I remember God clearly saying to me this is the picture you get when you follow man’s economy, rather than mine which is like the life filled river.
The two contrasting pictures really spoke to me about how God’s river never stops giving and so our lives should also be characterised by giving too. While at times the flow is really strong, and at other times flow is a trickle that there is always enough flow in the river to sustain us. Over the past year there has been times when we have had much finance flowing into our life as there has been times when it has just been like a trickle. God has challenged us to be just as generous and free in our finance in these times too.
What we have learnt
What we have learnt over the past year trying to live out a life characterised by generosity is that God is always faithful, He always provides your needs and finally He shows you that the act of generosity is a great witness to a world that is full of stress about fear about having enough money for tomorrow.
Jesus words in Matthew chapter 6, verses 25-34 has for me been the word I stand on when it comes to trusting in God’s generosity and trusting in his character to be the loving and providing heavenly father that he is. Even those moments when it has been just enough provision for one day, that I can trust that he will provide tomorrow and my needs will be met, just like the river that will continue to flow tomorrow.
The reason that I make the connection between generosity and it being a Kingdom invading action is because God gives us daily the opportunity to actually take up his character and his likeness communicating the kingdom truth that finances comes from him and that He is faithful. When we are free and generous with our finances we live so much more free and the stress that entangles much of our world we are able to show a different way, a better way, the God way.
Justin is married to his beautiful wife and together they pursue being his Kingdom agents through their intentional Jesus community house in Glenelg. Justin is also a prophetic artist under the label JR Faith Creations as well is pursuing a career in the entertainment industry with his new studies in VFX and digital illustration at university. He is a lover of surfing and anything adventurous.