April 18th

Fender Mender

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. Proverbs 11:24-25

Would you consider yourself to be a generous person? My guess is that you probably do, but I want to provide a definition of what generosity really is because being generous is the key to you having all you need.

We think about generosity as something that's a luxury for those who have more than enough. Giving is something that's good for all of us to do, perhaps, but it's easy for people whose bank accounts are overflowing already. But for the rest of us who have to watch our finances more carefully, perhaps generosity is a luxury we cannot afford.

That's kind of an ugly way to say it, but I wonder if that is really the way most of us think about being generous. If it is the way you think, then you need to renew your mind to line up with what the Word of God says.

Read the verses for today. This is wisdom coming from Solomon, the wisest man to ever walk the face of the earth who also happened to be one of the richest kings in history. He figured out a thing or two where money is concerned, so we can learn from him.

He says that you have to sow seed to reap a harvest, and the more seed you sow, the bigger the harvest you reap. Scatter your seed, he says, and, be generous in many areas. But then comes the promise: The person who does this increases all the more. This means he receives more than he gave!

This is a spiritual principle. When we take care of other people instead of selfishly watching out for our own interests, then we end up better off than we ever would have been by ourselves. This does not mean that we bankrupt ourselves in the name of faith or generosity. No, we still need to be responsible. However, let us not confuse responsibility with stinginess. After all, our futures depend on our being generous now.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You that You are the provider of all that I need! Teach me to trust You with my finances and give me wisdom to know how to be generous.

Amen