Ep. 408: What Does Generosity Really Look Like? A Conversation with missionary Anthony Sytsma

Most Christians who are active in church have been in this situation before. You’ve just listened to a compelling presentation about a need in some far-away corner of the world. Or perhaps it was a television program, or a commercial on your favorite Christian radio station. The need seems so great, and the story tugs at your heart strings. I’ve never heard of this organization before, but maybe it’s the Holy Spirit prompting me to give. What should I do? Hello, everyone, I’m Warren Smith, the president of MinistryWatch. And I think it is biblical to test the spirits, to make sure that the spirit moving you is actually the Holy Spirit. That’s why an article I saw in Christianity Today magazine by my guest today, Anthony Sytsma, caught my attention. It’s called “God Calls Me To Give. But to Everyone?” He has some guidance for us on how to test whether that tug we are feeling is actually from God…or from some clever advertising executives. Anthony Sytsma is himself a missionary, so he’s not trying to discourage giving. In fact, he believes, as do I, that when we have confidence in our giving decisions, we’ll actually give more. If you’d like to read his article in Christianity Today, click here. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.