40acts: The Lent Generosity ChallengeSample

Matthew 5:40–42 tells us that if we’re asked for our shirt, we need to hand over our coat as well, and if we’re asked to go one mile, we should go two. This is generosity heaped on generosity.   

Often it’s much easier to do what will suffice as a good-enough job, but we should be willing to push ourselves into real sacrificial generosity, not just doing it when our hand is twisted.  

Today we’re looking at going that extra mile to change someone’s life. What can you do to lavish generosity on those who ask you for something? 

Last year, I signed up for 40acts. I was looking forward to finding out how I could become more generous. The first few challenges were fun. I was really enjoying myself. Then one morning, I read the reflection about following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Several days later, as I was getting ready for work, I heard God’s voice telling me, ‘Give away one of your kidneys.’ This was certainly one step beyond what I was expecting.

It’s not the kind of thing one usually hears, so, shaken, and not knowing if this was even a possibility, I googled ‘kidney donation’. I found there was a special category of donation: ‘Altruistic Living Kidney Donation’, a way of giving a kidney to a stranger anonymously. 

I duly followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, as encouraged by 40acts. I contacted the Renal Live Donor Co-ordinators at Morriston Hospital near Swansea. After a multitude of blood tests, I had a two-hour interview with a clinical psychologist. She wanted to know if I was in the right mental state to proceed. You may be asking the same question!

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In the story above Alex went one mile in choosing to do Lent generously. He walked two in doing something that would impact his life even after the 40 days were over. Of course this isn’t going to be the case for everyone, but how can you push the limits of your generous capacity? What else could you do for someone today?

 Find more about today’s 40acts challenge on our blog:  https://40acts.org.uk/act-29-anything-else/