A Cross-Cultural Generosity Experience

By Ben Niscavits

Director of International Missions

I spent twelve years of my life living among Muslim people in South Asia. We had sewage running through the streets, trash everywhere, loud horns, chaos, bomb blasts, ethnic tensions, wars, unrest, and political strife. And yet, through all of that, the friends and strangers of South Asia taught me a great deal about generosity.

As a foreigner living in another land, I met people daily who didn’t know me. Often, the very first words—after a warm greeting or a hug—were, “Would you like some tea? Would you like to eat?” Strangers would approach me as I finished a meal, thanking me for coming to their country and insisting that, as a guest, I could not pay. To allow me to do so, they said, would bring them shame. They didn’t know me, yet they considered it an honor to give.

One of my favorite moments came at a small breakfast place I visited often. A man told me, “I’m going to pay for your meal. You are our guest.” I replied, “Sir, I have been here ten years. Until when am I a guest?” He smiled and answered, “Until you die.”

Now, keep in mind: these people do not follow Jesus. Their generosity may be motivated by cultural values or a desire to please God, and it may not always be expressed equally toward their own neighbors. But that is beside the point. What struck me deeply was this: they saw generosity as an honor.

Our Lord Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The passage that most comes to mind when I consider true generosity is this:

2 Corinthians 8:1–5
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints; and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

These Macedonian churches were not wealthy. They lived at a time when it was deeply unpopular—and even dangerous—to be a Christian. There was severe persecution, rejection, and, as Paul describes it, “a great ordeal of affliction.” Yet in spite of these hardships, something remarkable stands out: “they first gave themselves to the Lord.”

Their poverty and suffering did not deter them from generosity. In fact, Paul tells us they were “begging us with much urging” for the privilege of helping others. The believers they supported were not even part of their own congregations, but saints suffering far away in Jerusalem.

The Macedonians became an example to the Corinthian church—and to us—that poverty, persecution, and extreme affliction do not have the final word over a generous heart. Their hope was firmly placed in the grace of God, trusting Him as their ultimate provider.

We must never forget the order in which true generosity is practiced and most deeply experienced: first, giving ourselves to the Lord, and then giving ourselves to others. When that order is right, generosity becomes a joy and an honor—and it is never limited to finances alone.

May we, as followers of Christ, live generously because of our devotion to Him and our love and consideration for others.

Something to Pray

Ask God to help you identify someone you could be generous to this week, and begin praying for them.

A Simple Prayer

“Lord, help me to have eyes to see the person You would like me to generously reach out to and help this week.”

Something to Do

Set aside a specific time this week to show generosity toward this person—by sharing your time, your heart, your gifts, or your material resources.

Be encouraged as you intentionally seek to touch someone’s life for God’s glory, knowing this is part of the very purpose for which He has saved you.