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Written by Dynamis Ministries | January 18, 2024

One of the most influential figures in history, who we recently honored through the observance of the national holiday MLK Day, is Martin Luther King Jr. Some of his most famous words whether spoken or written, such as “I Have a Dream” or the “Letters from a Birmingham Jail,” are still being quoted and followed today to bring about positive change in the world. And there are many other lesser-known quotes, yet equally profound, that are attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. Consider this one:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Martin Luther King Jr. definitely had to live his life with a lot of faith. And, as a pastor he was likely no stranger to the Biblical definition of faith either. This quote shows that he understood biblical faith quite well, actually. It is aligned with one of the best descriptions of faith in the Bible in Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

To live by faith is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life. It is hard for us to have assurance of things when our circumstances are shaky, even falling apart. It is hard to take steps when we can’t always see where the path leads. It is hard for us to make changes when it makes us feel uncomfortable. It is hard to be generous when markets are unstable or inflation is high.

[Wait, did you say something about faith and generosity?] Well, yes we did. Faith and generosity are significantly connected. In fact, in Paul’s letter to Philemon he linked faith and generosity in this way:

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” (Philemon 1:6)

This letter is from the Apostle Paul, and he is saying that generosity is faith in action! Every time we live out generosity with our time, gifts or resources, we are stepping out in faith.

Think about it, when we give financially we are putting our faith in action by believing the assurance that God will still meet our needs. Or, when we pour our time and gifts into investing in someone else, we are putting our faith in action to believe that it will one day bear fruit in their life even if we can’t see it in the moment. Even daily acts of random kindness take faith to believe that God will use our small deeds to make any kind of positive difference.

Have you ever thought of generosity in this way – as faith in action? Maybe seeing it in this fresh perspective can help you activate more generosity as faith in action in your life. This is critical for our faith, and our generosity. It is something we should be striving to do every day; to live by faith, to act in faith with our generosity. When we put our faith in action in any task or activity, whether it involves generosity or not, we keep our faith alive. To the contrary, when we are stagnant, our faith can be dead. Consider James, who warned that “faith, if not accompanied by action, is dead,” (James 2:26). As you go forward today, what is one thing you can do to set your faith in action through generosity? Identify that thing, then go for it!