It needs to be fundamental.
Radical generosity doesn’t have to mean taking a vow of poverty or retreating to a salt pillar to spend your days in prayer. Radical here doesn’t necessarily mean “extremist.”
Instead, for many of us, “radical” means “fundamental.” It means making generosity essential to your life and your days. It means that generosity, and God’s call to give, dwells at the very center of your life and your family’s life.
To be sure, this kind of generosity often seems extreme. The call to sacrifice for others, even at cost to yourself, can seem to some like too much to ask.
But the pervasive, foundational nature of generosity is crucial to most of us as we live our daily lives. This kind of radical generosity is a posture of the heart, a way of living that inhabits your every moment. As such, small acts of generosity and kindness are a critical component of it.
One very dear ministry that is part of this network is Water for Good, formerly known as Lifewater. They do simple, transformative work with a heart of radical generosity: They bring water to people who need it and the Gospel to those who haven’t heard it.
It’s easy to take things like the Bible and fresh water for granted. But access to water effectively predicts local health and hygiene. Fresh water means fewer diseases, in part because people can wash and in part because they are consuming fewer pathogens. It ultimately means greater economic activity, since the urgent pressure of securing water and ensuring survival has been relieved.
The Gospel addresses a need deeper still. It brings the hope of a God who knows us, loves us and offers redemption through Jesus Christ. And when that message is accompanied by tangible acts of service, people encounter Christian love in both word and deed.
Meeting a community’s physical needs while sharing the Gospel demonstrates that Christian generosity is concerned with the whole person—body and soul. Clean water can transform the circumstances of a life; the Gospel can transform its purpose and direction. People suffering under the lack of basic amenities receive the Word of God at the same moment they experience His people meeting their most urgent and simplest physical needs.
This is the kind of impact available to all of us through small acts of radical generosity. Our small gifts—given faithfully, consistently and with a prayerful heart—make a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
These small, faithful gifts are an important part of how we carry out the Great Commission. And we do that today through a mix of personal acts of generosity and far-reaching, cooperative efforts such as we see in global nonprofit work.
We at AdelFi Christian Banking donate to Christian nonprofits that transform lives, here in the United States and all over the world. And we do it as a matter of course.
But building that kind of culture—and that kind of infrastructure—takes time and intention. Every individual should consider how their business, organization, or even family can leverage small-scale, persistent giving in their day-to-day lives.
Living out radical generosity begins with intention. If generosity is to be fundamental rather than occasional, we can’t simply wait until a need crosses our path. We need to make room for it in our budgets, calendars, businesses, and family routines.
Start with what God has already entrusted to you—not only your money, but your time, talents, relationships, and influence. Decide how you can use those resources consistently to serve others.
If you’re a business leader, create pathways for employees to give and serve. As a family, buy extra groceries to donate, let your children choose items for a family in need, and make decisions about giving together. Look for needs close to home: organize a meal train at church, bring dinner to a neighbor, or volunteer your skills to an organization doing good work.
And pray for the wisdom to recognize needs and the willingness to respond. Radical generosity grows when small, faithful acts become habits—and those habits become a way of life.
Remember: radical generosity need not be extreme. It need only be fundamental. Help cultivate a generosity that is fundamental, transformative and lifelong—wherever you are.
Blair Korschun is CEO of AdelFi Christian Banking.