Dear Christians: How generous are you?
This month, we will mark International Day of Charity, a day meant to remind us to pause and remember our shared responsibility to help those in need. But if our generosity begins and ends on a single date in the calendar, we have missed the deeper truth: Charity is not an event; it is a way of life.
In Matthew 14:17-21, the Bible tells us of a boy who brought his lunch box of five loaves and two fish to a hillside where thousands had gathered to hear Jesus speak. That small lunch in the boy’s hands could feed only himself. But in the hands of the Savior, it became enough to feed the multitudes.
That boy could have kept what little he had. He could have thought, I’m not going to share. This is not enough to make a difference. But instead, he offered it to Jesus, and in doing so, he became part of a miracle still spoken of 2,000 years later.
That is the essence of charity or giving: offering what we have and trusting God to multiply it.
I have met countless men, women and children whose lives have been transformed because someone decided to give their “five loaves and two fish.” Sometimes it was a financial gift. Sometimes it was time, skill or even encouragement. Always, it was offered with open hands, and God did the multiplying.
Yet, too often, we imagine that giving is something reserved for special occasions. We wait for a holiday appeal, a televised fundraiser, or a crisis in the news before we act. We tell ourselves I will give more when I have more. But true charity is not occasional. It is consistent, woven into the rhythm of our daily lives.
When the Good Samaritan stopped to help the wounded man by the roadside, he did not do so because the calendar told him it was “charity day.” He acted because compassion had become part of who he was. Generosity flowed from his character, not his convenience.
If we truly want to live out the Gospel, we cannot treat generosity as a momentary gesture. The needs of the world do not fade after the calendar turns to the next day. Every moment, there is a hungry child to feed, a widow to comfort or a community to serve.
God has given each of us different resources, abilities, and opportunities to help those in need. For one, it may be the capacity to give financially. For another, it may be time to volunteer or the skill to speak up for those without a voice. Still others may be the gift of faith and fervent prayer for workers on the front lines of ministry.
Regardless of what you give, all of us have something to offer.
It’s important to remember that small acts of consistent generosity can often be more transformative than the large, infrequent ones. One-time giving meets an immediate need; sustained giving builds lasting change. Entire communities can move from surviving to thriving when giving becomes a lifestyle.
Through ongoing support, those of us at GFA World have seen villages in Africa and Asia receive clean water wells where disease once claimed lives. We have seen children enter school for the first time, breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty. We have seen families start small businesses that give them dignity and independence. None of this would be possible if people gave only once and walked away.
The International Day of Charity is an opportunity to reflect on the kind of givers we are. Are we occasional givers, offering from our leftovers when the mood strikes? Or are we everyday givers, seeing each day as a chance to place our “five loaves and two fish” in God’s hands?
I believe that when we adopt a lifestyle of giving, something incredible happens, not only to the people we help, but to us. We begin to see the world differently. We notice the needs we once overlooked, we become more grateful for what we have, and we draw closer to the heart of God, who is Himself the ultimate giver.
Sharing our blessings with others is how our heavenly Father invites us to practice trusting Him as our provider, even when we think there isn’t enough to go around. It’s how He gently opens our hands to give and receive freely, instead of holding on to the fleeting things of this world with tight-closed fists.
The truth is, the world’s needs will never be met by a single day of charity, no matter how well-intentioned. But they can be met by the Church, a global family committed to living each day with open hands.
Today, I invite you to make this more than a one-day observance. Ask yourself: What is in my hands? What time, talent, or treasure can I offer to God, trusting Him to multiply it? And then, take a step, however small, to make that offering not once, but again and again.
Because with God, no gift is too small and no life lived generously is ever wasted.
Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan is the President of GFA World and is consecrated bishop of the Believers Eastern Church. In his role as president of GFA World, Bishop Daniel serves as a primary link between thousands of Christian workers and missionaries serving throughout Asia and Africa and the rest of the Church worldwide.
