Generous
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
The importance of generosity is a theme that spans the whole Bible. Everyone has moments of generosity. However, Biblical teaching encourages us to be generous as a way of life.
It is no surprise that the writer of Proverbs returns to this theme frequently. He was clear that generosity not only blesses the person who receives the gift but the one who gives it, too. Generosity sprays out blessings in all directions!
Premier is a case in point. Premier Media, which embraces both the magazines and radio stations, only exists because of the generosity of God’s people. The cost of radio licences and running radio stations is phenomenal. Without Christian people digging deep there is no way in which the ministry could continue to exist.
But as people give generously, millions of people are blessed. Many of them may never give a penny to help Premier but they are able to receive a blessing because of other people’s generosity.
This is a vital message in our acquisitive society. The unspoken implication is that the good life consists of grabbing more and more things. But that’s a dangerous and destructive lie.
There is a proverb that sums up the Bible’s thinking on this well: “He who takes but never gives may last for years but never lives.” Jesus’ life is the supreme example of the one who made giving a way of life. He poured himself out for all and, supremely, in his death on the cross.
The apostle Paul summed this up in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”
QUESTION
In whose life have you seen the greatest generosity, and how has their example inspired you?