In a recent sermon, I heard a guest speaker made this point.
“Generosity from a selfless heart multiplies itself, prospers both he who gives and he who receives.”
Basically, being generous is a creative act. While from a financial perspective we may think of giving as consuming, but it can also produce.
This is another reason I am so passionate about fair trade and ethically produced goods. We can be generous by purchasing products that provide jobs.
Buying things from someone can be as generous as purchasing for someone. Click To TweetWhat you say, that sounds self-serving? Taking a chance on a new product or service is generous because it forces us to be more intentional about our purchasing.
I don’t like to talk about fair trade shopping as charity, because it isn’t. It’s being part of a positive capitalist system that creates jobs by buying products from people rather than large corporations and making sure those people are paid a living wage and treated with dignity. I’m not going to get into a debate about the morality of making purchases in conventional stores. I’m not so much interested in what we stop buying so much as what we start buying instead.
When I shop at a local small business instead of at a big chain store, I’m making an impact. When I purchase fair trade clothing or jewelry, I’m helping at artisan in West Africa or Guatemala feed her children and give them the education that wasn’t available to her. This literally helps to break the cycle of poverty. Charity alone cannot do this.
Charity provides a resource but doesn’t change the underlying cause. Poverty cannot be cured simply by throwing money at it. Click To TweetBe generous, not just by giving but by buying. We can change the world because our dollars have power.
Day 26 – Where and For Who?: Discovering What It Means to Live Generously
What an interesting quote. I’m going to have to reflect on that for awhile.