“We find we are helped when we stop to help others.”

– Kristen Welch, in Raising World Changers in a Changing World: How One Family Discovered the Beauty of Sacrifice and the Joy of Giving, (page 13)

Kristen Welch is the founder of Mercy House Global and a very driven person. This is her family’s story about how they include and encourage their kids in the adventure of giving to others as part of their faith journey. Serving as a wakeup call to living generously and challenging the idea of the American Dream, Welch argues we should joyfully share what we have and teach our kids to do the same because that’s how we change the world for Jesus. Happiness doesn’t lie in grabbing things up but in scattering what we have been given.

This is a very action-oriented book, and, while Welch leaves some room for nuance, in reading this book, it can be easy to feel like giving loads of money or time is the only way to be a generous Christian. Of course encouraging actions of generosity in our kids is important, and she doesn’t mean for it to come across that way.  We need to pursue  spiritual maturity for ourselves and our children, and our hearts will grow to naturally overflow with the love of Jesus in many different generous ways.

I don’t want my kids to be focused on doing what they think is right. I am all to prone to that myself. I want them to feel secure in who God created them to be as themselves, and be free to joyfully serve Him in the one of the multitudinous possible ways that is their own.

Beyond those thoughts, reading about this one family’s experience is a thought-provoking, convicting place to begin considering how you are giving of what you have. I love the cover! And I love the ideas in the book. We just have to make sure we are coming from the right place, and not approaching any of it from a sense of legalism.

There are many ways to be selfish. There are many ways to be generous. And there is grace upon grace when we mess up.

A few great quotes from the book:

• “Givers do something. They don’t just talk; they act.” p83
• “He might imposition us to position us.” p102
• “Jesus makes what we have enough because he is enough.” p108

“We have to ask ourselves why we are standing on dry ground when the rest of the world seems to be drowning. What can we give today to help someone else? we simply start with the need in front of us. This is how we lead our families this is how we raise kids who change the world.” p192

Check it out at your library or look at the description on Amazon if you want to find out more: Raising World Changers in a Changing World!

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How do you feel about living generously?

How are you grounding your kids in their identity in Jesus instead only their outwards actions?

Do you have any book recommendations? (They don’t even have to be on topic. I just love books :) )

Life looks different for everyone, and I’d love to hear your story!

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(Disclaimers: Review copy of this book thanks to Baker Books. All opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links so, if you follow the link and purchase something, a few pennies will go to supporting this site. Thanks!)