
Photo by Brian A. Yoder Schlabach, Everence.
Rachel Swartzendruber Miller challenged youth on Wednesday afternoon to shift their understanding of giving from a moral obligation to a joyful, meaningful spiritual practice.
As Vice President of National Markets at Everence®, Swartzendruber Miller helps individuals and businesses make a difference through charitable giving on a daily basis. Yet giving can sometimes feel like a chore rather than a privilege, she admitted.
In her seminar titled “Find the joy: A generosity journey,” Swartzendruber Miller began with a deeply personal exploration of stewardship. Drawing from her own experiences and Scripture, Swartzendruber Miller challenged the traditional narrative of giving as a duty, and instead presented generosity as a joyful opportunity to bless others.
Swartzendruber Miller traced back her generosity journey throughout her life. A pivotal moment in her journey, Swartzendruber Miller shared, took place during her early married years. She and her husband sold their house and – struck by God’s generosity and guidance during that time of their lives – tithed a portion of their earnings from the sale.
Swartzendruber Miller noted that today’s culture often pushes us to focus on acquiring more for ourselves. She shared a quote from “Your New Money Mindset,” by Brad Hewitt and James Moline: “While consumerism is driven by external pressures, it takes root and grows inside human hearts.”
“How do you remind yourself to push against that?” she asked.
To fight against the instinct to consume, collect and buy for ourselves, Swartzendruber Miller urged attendees to shift their perspective. Rather than asking “How much must I give away?” she encouraged youth to ask, “How much do I actually need to keep?”
This shift in perspective becomes easier to accept when you recognize that everything you have is temporarily entrusted to you by God, Swartzendruber Miller said. When you start seeing resources not as personal possessions to hoard, but as opportunities to support your faith community, celebrate abundance, and help those in need, giving becomes second nature.
Swartzendruber Miller’s reframing encouraged a more intentional and joyful approach to stewardship and reminded attendees that everything we have is ultimately a gift, and true joy comes from recognizing and sharing that abundance.