Generosity Practice Week 2
Watch Out for Greed
“The more you get, the more you want.” Few truths cut more deeply across the breadth of the human experience. No matter how much money or stuff we amass, we never feel like we have enough. Even more haunting: “The more we get, the more neurotic we often become.” Jesus’ counterintuitive insight is: not only does wealth not make us happy (beyond lifting us out of poverty and offering the basics of life), it often makes us anxious, agitated, discontent, and lonely.
We often believe the lie that we’ll be happy when we “get” — a raise, a better job, a new home or car, etc. The beautiful message of Jesus is that contentment cannot be bought, but it can be given.
Below you will find steps to help you engage with this practice over the next four weeks, as well as resources for further exploration.
Ways to engage with the Generosity Practice
First and foremost, this practice (and all practices) are meant to be done in community. If you haven't yet, find a small group of people that are commited to walking through this practice together.
Download the Generosity Practice Guide. If you can, it is advised to print it out to reduce the distraction of our devices.
Gather with your group once a week to watch the Practicing the Way video found below. This will include questions for discussion, as well as a short teaching on that week's practice.
Step into each practice as much as you are able and feel comfortable to. This invitation is for everyone at all stages of life and faith.
Reflect on your experience of the practice using the reflection questions at the bottom of the guide and be prepared to share them the next time you gather with your group.
Recommended Reading
Giving Is the Good Life by Randy Alcorn (Chapters 5-8)
Rule of Life Podcast
Generosity Practice Guide
Download the practice guide here
Week 2 Practice - Identify something you own that you do not need, and give it away or sell it and give the money to someone in need.
Identify an item to sell and/or give away. You don’t need to sell everything, just something. It could be an item you rarely use — that bike you never ride, the surfboard collecting dust, your aging record collection, etc. Or it could be an item you love and use regularly, but you feel the gentle pull of the Spirit to give away. This calls for prayerful discernment.
Once you identify an item, give it away. You can give to an organization like a local nonprofit or directly to someone you know in need. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Just bless people as quietly as you can, without drawing attention to yourself or putting them in an awkward position. You may want to consider giving anonymously, if you feel led to do so.
This exercise may be really hard and feel like peeling a layer off your heart, but on the other side is joy and freedom.
Week 2 Reflection Questions
Before your next time together with the group for Week 3, take five minutes to journal out your answers to the following three questions about the practice:
What aspect of simplifying did I find most difficult?
What emotions did I experience in dimplifying and giving away?
How do I sense the Spirit inviting me deeper into simplicity going forward?
