Have you ever seen what happens when you put Mentos breath mints in a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke? If you haven’t, here is a YouTube link for you to see what happens. In brief, when the Mentos react with the Diet Coke, a massive eruption occurs.

This is the second article in our current Stewardship and Generosity series. I recently read an article entitled “How to Enjoy Wealth to the Glory of God”. In the article the author, Joe Rigney, examines several verses from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy (6:17-19). Joe states in the article, “If wealth comes to us and we’re enjoying it, but it’s not spilling the banks and flooding the lives of others, then something has gone wrong in our souls.”

Perhaps the exploding Diet Coke bottle is a bit of an extreme analogy, but I really like this imagery of our wealth and resources spraying all over the lives of others. God never intended for our wealth, which I believe goes beyond out financial assets and possessions, to be used solely for our personal benefit and enjoyment. I’m fully convinced that at least part of our divine purpose involves sharing God’s love and goodness with those around us.

In a world that insists you need to look out for yourself, I find encouragement to the contrary helpful. Being generous usually takes some intentionality. These verses written to Timothy provide us three instructions to counteract the flow toward self-focused living: do good, be rich in good works, and be generous and ready to share. The verses conclude that when we focus on others’ needs, we can take hold of life that is truly life.

My challenge is to consider what you have that could benefit someone else. Remember, it doesn’t have to be financial. Perhaps your time or a note of encouragement could have more of an impact than something financial.