Written by Guest Contributor, Ethan Dahlen | April 25, 2024
Often when I hear of generosity, I hear the phrase “time, talent, and treasure,” referring to the many ways we can give. I’m not sure how this phrase got coined – perhaps from Jesus’ teaching on the Parable of the Talents? Whatever the case, this alliteration makes it easy to remember that generosity is more than just money. While “time, talent, and treasure” is a good reminder of the wholistic nature of generosity, I think this phrase fails to capture one important aspect – motivation.
Just over two years ago, I started working as a reporter for a news channel in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It’s a career that swallows my time, consumes my talent, and (at an entry-level) doesn’t provide much earthly treasure to spare. Struggling to find opportunities to be generous, I would carve out time in my day to volunteer at the Salvation Army, pitch in using my acquired skills to run the sound at church or give what little disposable money I have to bless a friend. But at times my motivation to do these things was the same motivation one has as they check off a box on a grocery list – lifeless. For me, the challenge was to give “cheerfully” as we are instructed to do in 2 Corinthians 9:7, as opposed to giving as a means of a spiritual chore. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar rut?
This challenged me when I was studying Hebrews this fall. As the author expands upon Jesus’ heart heading to the cross he says, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). At this point Jesus must have been poured out and spent he had been betrayed, sweat blood amid his petitions, and even asked God if there was any other way, fully knowing that his sacrifice at the cross was necessary for the salvation of man and glory of God – the most generous act of all time. Yet he endured all of that because of joy! His heart was not bound in chains of duty but free in the joy of reuniting children of God with his Father in heaven.
If Jesus had that heart posture with his lavish generosity, then couldn’t I share that same joy in my generosity too? So, as I surveyed what I considered to be a smoldering fire of time, talent, and treasure, I realized that even in a muted state, the last embers of a fire have the great potential to start a blaze elsewhere. Having little is no excuse to not give, but we must also be careful that even if our resources are small, they don’t callous our heart, making a gracious act a mere act of duty. Even by serving “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45) I can please the king of the universe.
And what greater joy is there than that?
Bio:
Ethan Dahlen is a Multimedia Journalist, working for a local news channel that covers the greater Fort Wayne area of Indiana. Prior to starting his professional career, he attended Ball State University where he studied media and video production. During this time, he shaped his storytelling abilities through his many broadcasting roles including the University’s Esports program and hosting other university athletic media programs. When he’s not covering the stories that matter in Fort Wayne, he loves to volunteer, devote time to his church, and explore the outdoors.
