“The Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 NIV
“God established a spiritual life-principle: you receive when, and as, you give.”
My thoughts today are about “liberality.”
The last sermon that I ever heard my Dad preach was about Solomon’s request for wisdom from God. He could have asked for many things – wealth, long life, or victory over his enemies – but Solomon asked for wisdom, and God granted his request. It was late summer as I awaited returning to school for my senior year in Bible College, preparing to be married in just a few weeks. That message touched my heart that night, and lingers to challenge me across nearly fifty years of ministry since. I prize gaining God’s wisdom. Solomon was wise about liberality.
Proverbs is a collection of practical, everyday thoughts about life in which Solomon wrote about a life-principle of generosity and reciprocity. Listen to Solomon’s words, “It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied: those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:24-25 NLT.
Read that last phrase carefully. When you treat others generously, you will be treated in like manner – generously! God established that as a spiritual law, as well as a life-principle: you receive when you give, and as you give. Not always from the same source or in the same coin, but you will receive as you give.
I have observed that people of little or modest means are often the most liberal. Though they cannot give much, they give what they can, and that is usually proportionally more. See Mark 12:41-44. Maybe they, more than others, recognize how much even a little bit of help makes a big difference. If giving is first calculated through what you don’t have, you probably will conclude that you cannot afford to give what you do have.
Generosity comes from gratefully counting all you have as a gift from God, and then choosing to give what you can give, in contrast to waiting until you will have more to give and can better afford doing so. Generosity of heart begins with the attitude, “Such as I have, I give you, in the name of Jesus Christ . .”Acts 3: 6. Maybe that is simply giving a kind word, a helping hand, or an unexpected act of kindness. Those and others like them have to be given; you cannot buy them!
Generosity guarantees measurable reciprocity. “Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord.” Ephesians 6:8. “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will repay you!” Proverbs 19:17. My Dad frequently reminded me, “You can’t out-give God!”
Generosity is the path to blessing. Charitableness is the door to happiness. Liberality is the key to your future. Every day you hold that key is in your hand. What you give today sows the seed for what you will receive in days ahead. See 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NLT. That’s reciprocity. “Give and it shall be given to you . . good measure . . and running over.” Luke 6:38.
My prayer today is that you will give much, and receive even more, and give again!