The River Principle: Giving Today, Trusting God With Tomorrow

John and Nia Davenport give generously knowing the source of their wealth is God.

“All I wanted was a job,” said John Davenport Jr. “God’s vision was a business.”

John Davenport Jr / Video screenshot

John was sharing his story with the audience at Journey of Generosity (JOG), an annual gathering hosted by Generous Giving where participants celebrate creative and radical forms of generosity. He was reflecting on his growing-up years, during which his dad owned a business, but at the center of everything was a strong foundation of faith.

“If my dad got stuck trying to fix something, he would say, ‘Let’s pray and ask the Lord to help me to find a solution,’” John said about his father’s work ethic. “God is not just the God of this church building. He’s the God of everything and wants to be involved in everything.’ That made such an impression on me.”

That mindset prepared John to respond to God’s guidance when his own business took off. While his first impulse was to save excess revenue for a rainy day, God taught him to give abundantly today while trusting Him for tomorrow’s provision. But first John had to raise his expectations for his career.

John was the first one in his family to graduate from high school. Going to college was almost unimaginable.

“When I graduated, I took the job offer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation as an assistant traffic engineer,” stated John.

John’s wife, Nia, had a different experience. While both of their parents were both hospitable and generous, they expected Nia and all her siblings to graduate from college to ensure financial stability. So Nia set her sights on a business degree and became a CPA. She enjoyed accounting, but she discovered her true niche in financial advising.

“I loved seeing people’s dreams on paper,” Nia said. “And there was a common theme, especially with married couples, who were on the same page about their finances.”

She felt nudged to look at her own marriage. She began studying the Bible and envisioning what God wanted for their finances and marriage. “John and I had only been married for a short time, and I had no idea how important that deep work was going to be in the future,” she said.

At the height of the economic crisis, John was laid off from his job. Unsure of how to provide for Nia and their growing family, John continued to attend networking events, business lunches, and faith-based gatherings for young professionals. John put into practice the faith he saw lived out by his entrepreneurial father. He persevered and eventually started his own engineering and consulting firm headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

John and Nia had no idea the doors God would open.

John and Nia Davenport / Video screenshot

“I remember distinctly looking at the first contract we got and thinking it would be enough for now—but what was next?” John remembers. “That’s when the Lord reminded me, ‘You have enough for today. Don’t worry about the rest.’”

That first year in business, John earned more than he had in his previous job, and that provision led the Davenports to consider how they could worship through their giving

At a local networking event, John met Pastor Augustine, a man serving in Haiti who had already planted 70 churches but had a dream of reaching more people.

“I want to start a radio station,” the Haitian pastor told him, “because where I can’t go, I know my voice can go and bring the gospel.”

“I felt like the Lord said to me, ‘You can help him,’” John said. He contacted others to assist, and soon the transmitter was on its way. John was also invited to Haiti.

Months later in Haiti, during the early hours of the morning, John found himself seeking respite from the heat.

“I couldn’t sleep,” John said. “The pastor had shown me the rooftop where he would go to pray. I grabbed my Bible and went.”

It was in that time of prayer that John developed the “River Principle.” He, Nia, and their family have embraced it ever since.

John had always thought it wise to “build dams” to weather times of financial drought. But with a river, as long as there’s a source, the water will always keep coming.

That’s where John felt God challenging him to trust Him and give generously with his abundance instead of hoarding it for the future. He felt prompted to answer the prayer of folks like the Haitian pastor, who was on the front lines, and to trust God to provide enough to take care of John and others. “From that day forward, that’s exactly how it’s been,” John recalled.

“He came home spiritually energized,” Nia recalls. “It was clear that the company was going to be a vessel to launch, bless, and fund mission work all around the world.”

Even in hard times of health issues and the loss of loved ones, the Davenports maintained their giving.

“I met a person from India who had a ministry supporting children who were part of the caste system,” recalled John. “These kids were the untouchables. The ministry was going to provide a school for them so that they could have a decent education, meals, and they were going to have a future by hearing about Christ.”

The cost was $100,000 — 10 times greater than the radio station’s financial need.

“My first thought was, well, we can’t do all of it, but we’ll do as much of it as we can,” said John. But he felt God challenge him to give from savings.

John knew that he and Nia would need to be unified on such a huge commitment. When he explained the opportunity and the need, she responded with a resounding “yes.”

“Being in unity with each other was essential because of the radical things that the Lord was going to call us to do. We had to do it as a team,” said Nia. Together, they formed a non-profit organization to help individuals, businesses, churches, and teams incorporate faith into their daily lives. They have also encouraged others to get involved with those who share the passion of helping others through Generous Giving.

“The joy of being able to make an impact with our finances is in the faces of little children we haven’t met, but whom we will see in heaven one day,” Nia said. “It is in the faces of people in different countries who have the dignity of going to school, getting a Christian education, and having a hot meal. It is in the faces of mothers who have the food to give their children, who go to bed with a full tummy just like ours do every night. That’s an impact you can’t put a price tag on.”

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