Orientation of Generous Lives

The theme of this edition of SALT is generosity. A dictionary definition of the word ‘generosity’ is ‘freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character’.

The spirit of generosity is often manifested in people who are free with their time, their encouragement, their emotional availability and their goods and money. Generosity is more than just an intention; it is about the orientation of a life.

There is no recipe for developing generosity, no list of dos or don’ts, but there is a mindset that looks for opportunities to be generous and this will be a good starting point towards a future outworking of generosity.

Our first feature on page 8 is a great example of lives oriented towards generosity. Captains Faye and Steve Molen have purposefully decided to share their lives with their community in Manurewa, Auckland. Their willingness to be open and available to their community is testament to ministry oriented towards generosity.

The big enemy of generosity is fear—fear of lack, fear of scarcity, fear of missing out, fear of not being enough or having enough. Often this fear comes from past experiences that have fed fear. Lack, in particular, sucks generosity out of a person’s life, as it triggers fear and promises scarcity.

The antidote for fear is Jesus Christ. His promises to us of supplying our needs, his care and unconditional love give us the security we need to navigate the darkest of days. But he calls us to live our lives with an open hand and an open heart. 

Over the next six weeks, Salvation Army congregations will be encouraged to deny themselves in order to give to those who are not as fortunate as we may be. Your gifts will enable people from other countries who do not have access to the benefits of medical care, education, food and water as readily as we do. You can read about the appeal on pages 20–23 and 33. We will also include a link for our readers to watch the videos, participate with the children’s Self Denial programme and read the family devotional.

Bless you as you too consider how you might generously give to this wonderful opportunity to change people’s lives and communities for the better.

Vivienne Hill, Editor