“Even when we worship God, we get something back. Even when we’re generous, we get something back.”
Those words from Jo Hargreaves, psychotherapist, pastor, writer and speaker, capture the heart of a fascinating conversation about generosity, faith and emotional wholeness in the latest episode of the Active Generosity podcast.
Known online as The Faith Filled Therapist, Jo spends her time helping people explore the connection between neuroscience, therapy and the truth of Scripture. For her, there is no contradiction between science and faith. Instead, modern discoveries simply reveal more of how wonderfully God has designed us.
“Everything that we’re learning, everything that’s being discovered, really it’s contained in Scripture already,” she says. “God is the one who knitted us together.”
Drawing on passages like Psalm 139, Jo explains how understanding the brain can deepen our awe of God, not diminish it. Therapy, she believes, can be a helpful tool for reflection and healing, but true wholeness always points us back to our Creator.
We are designed for connection and generosity
One of the strongest themes in the conversation is that human beings are made for relationship. Jo speaks compassionately about mental health struggles, reminding listeners that our fears, insecurities and emotional reactions 'make sense' in the context of our experiences and lives.
“There’s something really wonderful about somebody being able to help you understand the context of your behaviour,” she explains. “We have been created to be in relationship with one another.”
That same principle applies to generosity. Jo describes how modern neuroscience increasingly confirms what Scripture has always taught, that living for others is good for us. Acts of generosity can positively affect our emotional wellbeing and even activate the brain’s reward systems.
“This is neuroscience catching up with Scripture,” she says. “We really are built for generosity.”
Yet Jo is careful to distinguish biblical generosity from people-pleasing or unhealthy self-sacrifice. Christian generosity is not about losing ourselves. It is about holding what we have with open hands and trusting God with it.
How hardship shaped a generous heart
Jo also shares movingly about her childhood experience of poverty following her parents’ divorce. Despite periods of financial hardship, she remembers the kindness of her grandparents and the resourcefulness of her mother with deep gratitude.
Those experiences profoundly shaped her attitude towards money and giving.
“When you haven’t had loads of money, it almost feels easier to be generous,” she reflects. “There’s been something hugely redemptive about knowing what it is to not have much money and then being able to genuinely be a joyful giver.”
Her story is a powerful reminder that generosity is not reserved for the wealthy. In fact, some of the most generous people are those who know what it means to go without.
That is why one of Jo’s favourite Bible passages is the story of the widow’s offering in Mark 12. While others gave impressive sums publicly, the widow quietly offered two small coins, and Jesus saw her.
“Giving is never about numbers,” Jo says. “It’s all about the heart.”
A challenge to live open-handedly
Towards the end of the conversation, Jo reflects on how generosity can loosen the grip of comparison, consumerism and scarcity in our lives. Whether through money, possessions, time or encouragement, generosity helps shape us into people who trust God more deeply.
“None of this is mine,” she says. “What a joy it is to give.”
In a culture that constantly encourages us to accumulate more, that perspective feels both deeply challenging and deeply freeing.
Listen to the full episode of Active Generosity on the Stewardship website, in our Giving app or on your favourite podcast service.
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Ruth Jackson
Ruth leads the PR and Communications for Stewardship, which she joined in April 2022.
She has over 25 years’ marketing communications experience across a range of sectors, including higher education, technology and the arts, both business- and customer-facing.
Ruth worships and serves at C3 Church in Cambridge, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, a dog and a cat. When she’s not at her desk, you might find her rowing on the River Cam, in a ballet class or out for a walk.
She supports causes that are focused on alleviating global poverty and injustice, with a particular interest in supporting vulnerable children.
