As a student at Harvard University, John Cortines had big dreams of making big money and retiring by age 40. But God had other plans.
Instead of having him move into a lucrative overseas job with a gas and oil company, God directed Cortines to “step out of the boat,” and to an organization called Generous Giving, where he learned the message of biblical generosity and how to spread it through the body of Christ. One of the most crucial ideals Cortines now teaches is what Jesus really said about money and the heart.
“It’s really the spiritual journey that we’re on with God,” Cortines told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “He wants to transform us from pride to gratitude, so that we see everything as a gift; from coveting to contentment, so that we spend wisely; from anxiety to trust, so that we save appropriately; and from indifference to love, so that we give extravagantly.
“For me, it used to be that generosity was something that got in my way of saving. It was a duty, and it was an obligation. But really understanding the truly biblical perspective, the one that Jesus taught, is that generosity brings joy. There’s a sense of trusting God and being a part of His purposes. So, when you see generosity stick generationally, that’s really where it comes from.
“It’s not that this is a rule. You want to be a Christian, so you’ve got to give 10%. It’s a wonderful thing to give 10% of your income away, but it’s not because you must obey a rule so that God will love me. It’s so much more about I’ve received the grace of god through salvation in Jesus Christ. And my free response is to give generously of what He’s provided to me.”
For more of Jesus’ plan for your money, listen to the podcast below.
