As Christians, we believe that generosity and selfless giving lie at the heart of who God is.
But I believe that if the Christian life is simply about God giving us a set of instructions – caring for the poor, giving to those in need, giving without demanding anything back – and then judging how well we perform them, then we have missed the point.
God wants us to be like him. Generosity is in his nature and as we learn to be like him, we and those around us come into freedom. The work of the Holy Spirit, conforming us to the likeness of Jesus, will deeply affect our relationship to money, resources and material things. It cannot fail to do that.
If we transfer our trust from material things to trusting in ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’, our relationship with those things is transformed. That does not mean floating off into some ethereal world, leaving this one behind. Instead, this world takes on a different meaning. It becomes the arena where we long to see God’s merciful, compassionate and abundant rule enacted. Being truly spiritual brings us back down to earth.
God’s economy of provision
The psalmist says,
‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ - Psalm 24:1.
Jesus promises,
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ - Matthew 5:5.
These verses help us understand God’s economy. ‘Economy’ comes from a word meaning household management, stewardship and the management of resources. In God’s economy, there is more than enough for everyone. Scripture and experience testify again and again to God’s provision. If we lived according to God’s will now, there would be plenty for the whole world.
Tragically, much of the world lives under different economies, driven by power, greed, violence and exploitation. These systems grind down the poor and make life miserable for millions. They are anti-economies. God’s economy is the opposite. It is built first on trust that God will do all that he has promised. It is built on compassion for the poor and the needy, for the weak and for those without enough. If someone is in need, the people of God should meet that need.
A new Kingdom identity
What is wonderful about God’s economy is that giving releases joy, freedom, reconciliation and love. Giving is not an obligation. It is an essential part to learning what it means to become like God and to live fully human lives. Giving forms us so that we do not ground our identity in what we own or measure ourselves against others through scarcity.
God is a giving God who loves to share out of his abundance. Everything belongs to him. The psalmist is clear that the earth, the world, the cosmos and all who live in it are his. In the New Testament, we see that Jesus creates all things, and that he is also the inheritor of all things.
Hebrews tells us, ‘In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe’ - Hebrews 1:1–2 (NIV).
A life re-ordered
Jesus inherits what is rightfully his and shares that inheritance with us. Those who trust in him become his co-heirs. To inherit the earth means engaging with the concrete realities of life: people, relationships, resources and systems, and ordering them around God’s economy. The meek – those who are humble, gentle and trusting like Jesus – are the ones entrusted with God’s earth.
Does it not make sense that those who will be entrusted with God’s resources are those who exhibit God’s character? This is how generosity, trust and abundance are released, and how God’s economy can take shape on earth.
Prayer
Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we worship you.
We come to you with deep gratitude in our hearts that the earth belongs to you, that you're at work in this earth around us and astonishingly through us to bring your will into a broken world.
Lord, we thank you and praise you for the gift of giving, that comes straight from your heart into ours.
May you guard our hearts from pride, fear and greed as we offer these sacrifices to you.
Amen
A deep-dive into generosity
This article is a shortened version of Lucy's opening reflection at the launch event of Stewardship Generosity Report 2026.
Discover the Generosity Report 2026
Learn to live more generously
Join thousands receiving insights and reflections that encourage a life of generosity. Sign up to Generous today and receive a free digital copy of Money and the Gospel.
Lucy Peppiatt PhD
Lucy is the President of WTC, following her role as Principal from 2013-2024, and she teaches Christian Doctrine at WTC. She holds bachelor's degrees in both English and Divinity. She completed her MA in Systematic Theology at King’s College, London, and her PhD through the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. She also holds the position of honorary lecturer in the School of Divinity at the University of St Andrews.
She and her husband, Nick Crawley, founded Crossnet Church where they still serve as guardians and which is part of the 24-7 Prayer Communities Network.
