30 Days of Giving

Last Monday I moved in to a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 other guys from my church. Before you call me crazy for living in such tight quarters with that much testosterone, let me first tell you that I only pay $150/month for rent and utilities! If you know me at all, the fact that I jumped on this opportunity shouldn't surprise you one bit...I'm cheap! This being said, as much as I love the financial aspect of my new living situation, I'd be lying if I told you it was the best part. The caliber of the men that I now live with is, without a doubt, the biggest blessing of the entire deal. I moved in with 3 incredibly Godly dudes that will provide me with a great source of accountability, encouragement, and fellowship.

One of my roommates, Matt, has to be the most generous person I've ever met in my life. Matt works for a ministry called "Generous Giving" and after spending 5 minutes with him, it's obvious that his career lines up in perfect unison with his passion. I've never seen someone put so much effort toward strategic and intentional generosity. He pays for dinners, gives the best gifts, supports ministries, donates his time, and the list goes on and on. What I love most about Matt's generous spirit is the fact that he doesn't wait for a letter in the mail from a missionary that is asking for money. Instead of waiting for opportunities to give, he creates the opportunity. He is constantly searching for ways that he can give, and it is stretching me to do the same.

Earlier this week I told Matt that I wanted to blog about his generosity, specifically the creativity of his giving. I simply wanted to share with the world some unique ways that we can give on a daily basis. He immediately turned the table on me and suggested that, instead of blogging about his giving, I should blog about my own.

Earlier in this post I told you that I'm cheap. As much as I love to argue that my frugal habits are financially wise, I believe that the deeper root of my penny-pinching ways stems from greed and selfishness. I've struggled with these things for many years, and I've finally decided to stop justifying my sin and make a change.

This morning I received a text message from Matt stating that he will be challenging himself to give something away for the next 30 days. In an effort to let God dig out the greed and selfishness in my own life, I will be joining Matt in this challenge...blogging about it along the way. My hope in sharing this 30 day journey with you is not to boast of my own generosity, but to share with you how God is stretching me in this particular area. My prayer is that this journey encourages you to evaluate what generosity looks like in your own life, and to see that it does not take great wealth to make a great impact.

Day 1: Instead of parking my car in a garage near the airport while I'm out of town for the next few days, I loaned my car to an amazing married couple in my House Church. They are a one car family and a second car will make the next couple days a little easier for them both. This gift didn't cost me a dime, and I feel like it's a great way to start allowing God to soften my heart toward a lifestyle of giving.

Peace, Love, and Bean Burritos,

James