I’ve always had more than I need. Materially, I’ve never experienced poverty. Yet God has used a different kind of poverty—season of poverty of spirit and poverty of hope and joy—to show me His generous heart.
As I think about it now, it’s a unique hopelessness when you have everything in the world physically, but are too handicapped emotionally to appreciate it and share it with others.
But the Lord so graciously filled my empty heart with His joy. And He filled it to overflowing.
Several years ago, I was in a season of both questions and of abundant blessings. Thankfully, God let me to a Women Doing Well conference in Dallas and that is where my journey of biblical generosity began.
God revealed two life-changing things to me at that conference. One was my two-word purpose statement: inspiring joy. The other tied directly to my purpose statement: the realization that the giving experiences that brought me joy were ones where I was present and participating. They inspire joy in the giver and the receiver.
God also gave me clear verses in His Word that revealed His generosity to me—and to all of us. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17).
The key phrase for me: Be generous and willing to share. Generosity is sharing!
I’d once had no joy and couldn’t share anything. Then God gave me joy and everything to share.
I have a heightened awareness of this amazing joy because I had such a painful awareness of its absence. He used that poverty to uniquely prepare me with my resources and a refill of joy.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God.” I was poor in spirit, and my generous God showed me Himself. And continues to. He’ll do that for you too.
Be encouraged by Jenny’s full testimony. Watch it here.
