When you read about Israel in the wilderness, scarcity is a predominant experience. They have just enough food for the day. They often wonder how God will provide or get them through whatever obstacle. Because lent is an attempt to identify with the wilderness experience, we try to induce scarcity in lent through disciplines like fasting.

Despite this experience of scarcity, many Christians also choose to practice some form of generosity during lent, which can feel like a contradiction. Generosity feels like it should come out of our overflow, something we do in seasons of abundance rather than famine. We wonder how we could give more when we are already on empty.

We practice generosity during lent because it is a reminder that this is a world of abundance, and we have a generous God seeking to distribute his abundance into the world. Even when our circumstances tempt us to live with a scarcity mindset, the character of our God reminds us we can trust to live with an open hand because he is abundant.

The act of generosity has two effects. The first effect it has is it gives us the eyes that God has on the world. The Bible calls God “El Roi,” the God who sees. He is often called this when God sees someone suffering and meets them with blessing, empathy, and provision. We learn to have this same sight through generosity in the wilderness.

The second effect is that it places us in the world. We gain an opportunity to become incarnational and relational with our neighbors through their needs. God often provides through his presence or the presence of his people. God’s generosity does not come at arm’s distance but comes as a form of his intimacy. Following that pattern, we become bonded to those who receive our resources.

When we lean into this pattern of generosity in the wilderness, we discover that God has enough abundance that is not limited even though things may feel scarce. We can give even when it feels like a stretch, and somehow God provides enough, not only for us but also for our neighbor. We learn that God can be trusted as a Good Father who provides for his children, and there is no way to exhaust his goodness.

To Practice

There are many needs in the world, so pray for God to present opportunities for you to be generous. Setting aside a portion and asking God where He wants to send it is often helpful. Many times, He will give you the eyes to see where it needs to go.

One opportunity is to pray for and sponsor a student at Havila Christian School, which serves the poorest of the poor in Los Cedros, Nicaragua. Watch this video to see how Northshore has partnered together with UNIDOS Nicaragua. You can sponsor a student today with UNIDOS Nicaragua.