A Generosity Mindset: The Humility of Receiving
Support-raising can feel vulnerable because it exposes what's inside our hearts. But what if we embraced receiving as a necessary part of how God spiritually forms us? Part 2 of the two-part series, "A Generosity Mindset."
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Karl Koemmpel | Aug 11, 2026, 14:13 PM
Support-raising can feel vulnerable because it exposes what's inside our hearts. But what if we embraced receiving as a necessary part of how God spiritually forms us? Part 2 of the two-part series, "A Generosity Mindset."
Support-raising has a unique ability to expose what we truly trust in. This can be deeply uncomfortable, and yet, discomfort is often where formation begins. This is one of the great gifts of support-raising because learning to receive may be one of God's most unexpected tools for growing humility and deepening our trust in Him.
Receiving Aligns with God's Design
From the beginning, God designed His people for interdependence. Yet many of us in ministry quietly struggle with receiving help. We often admire independence so asking for support can feel like weakness. But Scripture consistently presents dependence upon God and upon the Body of Christ as a strength rather than a failure.
The Apostle Paul describes the Church as a body in which every member supplies something needed by the others. No single part is meant to function independently.
Jesus Himself depended on others during His earthly ministry, allowing others to provide for His practical needs (Luke 8:1–3). He also taught His followers to live with that same posture of trust, which fosters deeper connection with Him and one another.
One of the hidden gifts of raising support is the relationships it creates. Support-raising slows us down long enough to pray and hear people's stories. It reminds everyone involved that ministry is never meant to be an individual achievement.
The supporter needs the ministry worker.
The ministry worker needs the supporter.
Both need Jesus.
This mutual dependence reflects the beauty of the Body of Christ functioning as God intended through the process of giving and receiving.
Receiving Forms Us from the Inside Out
Support-raising is not simply a process of gathering financial partners. It is often a spiritual journey where God gently dismantles self-sufficiency and teaches us to trust Him again.
Year after year in coaching people in ministry team development, one common phrase I hear is, "I am completely reliant on God to provide." Yet when God chooses to provide through other people, receiving that provision often proves harder than we expected.
There is a reason receiving feels difficult: it requires us to acknowledge need.
And that can challenge pride.
Sometimes pride sounds spiritual:
- “I do not want to bother people.”
- “I should handle this myself.”
- “I do not want people to think I need help.”
But underneath these statements can often be a resistance to vulnerability.
The Gospel confronts this directly.
None of us earn our salvation. None of us sustain ourselves spiritually apart from grace. Christianity begins with receiving.
We receive forgiveness.
We receive mercy.
We receive adoption.
We receive daily bread.
Support-raising simply becomes another arena where God teaches us the humility of receiving what we cannot provide for ourselves.
Practicing the Humility of Receiving
If receiving feels uncomfortable, you are not alone. Rather than resisting that discomfort, consider it an invitation. Ask God what He may be revealing about your desire to remain self-sufficient.
This week, try one simple practice:
Notice where you resist receiving encouragement or generosity.
Thank God specifically for the people He uses to provide for you.
The next time someone offers help, resist the urge to minimize your needs. Simply receive it with gratitude.
Every act of receiving becomes an opportunity to remember that God is our Provider, and He often chooses to provide through His people.
A generosity mindset is not only about becoming cheerful givers. It is also about becoming humble receivers. The Gospel begins not with what we give to God, but with what He has already given to us. Learning to receive reminds us that every good gift has always been received before it is ever shared.
Read Part 1: A Generosity Mindset: The Gift of Giving.
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