Episode Details

Some of the earliest financial supporters of Jesus’ ministry were women.

Luke 8:1–3 introduces us to Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and “many others” who traveled with Jesus and the Twelve. Luke adds a remarkable detail: these women were supporting Jesus’ ministry “out of their means.”

Sharon Epps, President of Kingdom Advisors and one of the founders of Women Doing Well, points to their story as a powerful picture of generosity. These women didn’t simply contribute resources to a cause. They had encountered Jesus personally, received His grace, and responded by using what they had to serve Him and others.

Their example reminds us that Christian generosity begins not with what we give to God, but with what we have already received from Him.

Generosity Begins With Receiving

Luke tells us that these women had experienced Jesus’ healing and restoration. Mary Magdalene had been delivered from seven demons, while others had been healed of diseases and afflictions. Then, having received from Jesus, they gave.

“God always pours into us first,” Epps explains. “Our breath, our skills, our life, and our resources are all gifts from Him.”

That changes the starting point for generosity. We don’t give to earn God’s favor or repay Him for His grace. We give because His grace has already been freely given to us.

Everything we possess—our money, abilities, opportunities, relationships, and time—ultimately comes from God. When we begin there, generosity becomes less about meeting an obligation and more about faithfully responding to what we have received.

Turning Our Attention Outward

An old Latin phrase, incurvatus in se, means “curved in on oneself.” It describes the human tendency to turn inward and make life primarily about ourselves. That temptation can become especially strong when life feels exhausting.

Epps uses the playful word “exhausterwhelmulated”—exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated—to describe how many people feel today. When we’re depleted, our instinct can be to turn inward and focus almost exclusively on our own needs.

But remembering God’s care gives us another way forward.

“When we can breathe in God’s care, we can resist the self-focus and actually flow outward,” Epps says. “Let His generosity flow through us, even when life feels heavy.”

Generosity invites us to notice the people God has placed around us. It turns our attention outward—not because our own needs don’t matter, but because God’s provision frees us to see beyond ourselves.

Stewarding More Than Money

The women of Luke 8 also remind us that faithful stewardship extends beyond financial giving.

Today, women can use their resources, work, relationships, businesses, investments, experience, and influence for others' good. That might mean supporting a local ministry, operating a business with integrity, investing in ways that promote human flourishing, mentoring someone who needs guidance, or simply responding to a need close to home.

“We can use our positions and relationships as part of God’s work of restoration,” Epps says.

God entrusts each of us with different resources and opportunities. Faithful stewardship asks how we might use those gifts in love of God and neighbor.

Start With One Faithful Step

For someone who wants to become more generous but already feels stretched, the answer doesn’t have to be a dramatic financial commitment. Epps encourages women to begin by remembering who they are.

“You are a daughter of the King,” she says. “Pause long enough to breathe in His love and acknowledge that He’s our ultimate provider. Then look for just one small, concrete way you can share.”

Perhaps it’s meeting a need you notice today. Maybe it’s offering you