In 2010 while in Malawi, I met a young man named Vincent who had graduated from high school. He served as our interpreter for the week and helped with a camp for kids. We were impressed with his ability to lead and communicate. When I asked about his plans for the future, I learned that he dreamed of serving in the medical field. Instead, however, he was at home farming because he had no access to funds for college. It seemed like a waste for such a gifted young man to spend his days as a subsistence farmer. Rebecca and I along with another person on our trip decided to support his college education.
That decision has had a profound impact on Vincent’s life. We saw him complete college, become a medical technician, and recently marry. However, the impact of that decision went far beyond Vincent. It was the inspiration for starting the sponsorship program at Peachtree that has now seen hundreds of young people have the opportunity to attend school and follow their dreams.
That simple act of generosity also impacted us as we once again saw God working in and through our lives. Through our friendship with Vincent over these years, we have seen what can result through a single act of faith. That’s the way generosity works in the Christian life. It’s not simply a financial donation or an act of kindness. It’s one of the crucial ways that we participate in what God is doing for others. In the process, God grows our faith. When we listen to the Spirit and decide in our own heart to give, we become more like the people we are called to be. As Jonathon Bonk writes, “Christian stewardship is not something we do, but something we become.” Through our generosity, we reflect the One who was so generous to us, even laying down His life. We “abound in every good work,” reaping the extraordinary presence of Christ in our lives and seeing it in others as we all walk on our journey of faith.