GAINING BY GIVING

 

GAINING BY GIVING A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 If I want to thrive spiritually, I must not hoard what I have but instead share with those in need. Being tight-fisted and stingy may be the world’s way to prosperity, but it’s not God’s way. He says, “There is one who gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24 Faith teaches us that the way to gain is through giving. I need to keep practicing this, trusting that as much prosperity as is good for me will come as a gracious reward for living generously. Of course, I may not expect to become rich. If I’m blessed with enough to be healthy, that’s plenty to be grateful for, and if the Lord provides me with what I need, I should be completely content. However, there’s yet another kind of richness—mental and spiritual fullness—that I deeply desire. It comes from having generous thoughts toward God, His church, and my fellow human beings. Let me not be stingy, lest I starve my heart. Let me be generous and open-handed, for in doing so, I will reflect my Lord. He gave Himself for me; how could I ever hold back from giving to Him? by Charles H. Spurgeon