Give it away

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. (Prov 11:24-25)

It is easy to think that we should hold tightly to what we have. We often think if we are generous, and give it away, we will be left wanting.  Nothing could be further from the truth. In God's economy it is the generous one who is himself enriched.  It may seem counterintuitive, but it is true, nonetheless. This is because everything ultimately comes from God… 

What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Cor 4:7b)

 And on the topic of generosity, we often consider only money.  But when Proverbs 11:24 speaks of "scattering", it addresses much more than money.  It speaks to all types of resources.  We have spiritual resources, personal experience, time, and energy to share- and much more.  We have love to give.  The miserly person will always be in want, the generous will always have more to give.  That is because when we are committed to scattering, God abundantly supplies…

 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. (2 Cor 9:10-11)

Here we see the beautiful way in which God multiplies what we give.  We are enriched by our generosity.  We can give liberally, freely, without regret.  God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7).  People are blessed, we are enriched, and God gets all the praise.  What a wonderful process!

And there are many ways to give:

1. Through hospitality. (Heb 13:2)
2. Through sharing your faith. (2 Cor 5:17-21)
3. Through teaching and training others. (Col 1:28-29)
4. Through simple acts of service. (Ro 12:7)
5. Through financial gifts. (Ro 12:8)
6. Through love of the brethren. (Ro 12:9)

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (Ro 12:9-13)

And yet, it takes time and effort to scatter. There is no act of giving that is easy. There is a cost. If we adopt an "abundance mentality" we will always expect that as we give, God will continue to provide our needs.  If we adopt a "scarcity mentality" we will want to hoard what we have.  We may feel that if we give money away, our money will soon run out.  We may feel that if we serve others, we will grow tired and weary and be unable to meet the demands of our personal life. If we show hospitality, there may be damage to our home. There are always enough logical reasons not to give.  But they are never good enough.

Not only has God given all the resources we possess, but He has also given each of us spiritual gifts to use to serve others.  These gifts are never for our personal enjoyment, but for the enrichment of the body and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  When we are young, we may not be aware of our gifts, so we hold off.  When we are old, we may think we need to retire.  Both are big mistakes.  Everything God has given is meant to be given away- liberally but judiciously.

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Pet 4:10)

So, we see two principles at work:

1. Sow broadly.
2. Utilize your gifts whenever possible.

Some mistakenly think that because they don't have a particular gift, they can ignore it.  "I don't have the gift of evangelism", we often hear.  "I don't have the gift of teaching, or giving, or hospitality, or serving."  Ridiculous. You may not have a particular gift, but that doesn't mean you should neglect it either.  All Christians are called to love others, give, serve, share our faith, etc.  Some will have special power and enablement and joy when they serve in a particular area.  But all of us should take an abundance mentality and be committed to "giving it away", freely and cheerfully.  As we sow broadly in many areas, we will discover the unique and personal gifts God has given us and be able to specialize as much as possible.  But let us not be miserly with what God entrusts to us.  We must be good stewards of all that He gives.

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Ti 6:18-19)

All passages in this post were taken from The New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).