“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
- Proverbs 22:9 (NIV1984)
As we near the season of Advent, we have already heard the calls of selfishness and greed to indulge in Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday sales in an annual attempt to get that great deal or save a few dollars here and there. We will also begin to hear the opposite call from many churches and non-profit organizations. We will hear the call for generosity and an attitude of giving to those who are living much more difficult lives than ourselves.
In this proverb, we are told that a person is blessed for their generosity. I believe that we can all testify to the notion that our economic woes, the number of people living in poverty and on food stamps, and the general attitude of selfishness that pervades our culture are directly related to a lack of generosity and the prevalence of greed. Today, on the Family Life Network radio station, they ran their daily contest, but today, the winner received a DVD and was encouraged to give it away in the spirit of Christmas. Many churches will begin collecting food to distribute to the poor in their local areas. This man in Proverbs 22:9 was blessed for being generous and sharing his food with the poor. So if we know that we will be blessed for our giving, why is it such a difficult thing to be generous today?
Christmas is coming soon, the time when we celebrate the coming of the savior and the reason for his coming, which was to suffer and die for our sins and to provide a pathway to salvation! That gift is a model that we can follow too. Not necessarily the sacrifice of our lives, but certainly we can make some sacrifices and be generous with the overabundance that we have been so richly blessed with by God!
How have you been generous recently? Do you have a habit of giving generously to your church or to a food pantry or shelter organization? Have you experienced the joy that giving brings and the blessings that are received as a result of generosity? I encourage you to think about how generous you have been recently and how you can increase your generosity.
Be generous with your possessions, your money, and your food. Be blessed like the man of generosity in Proverbs 22:9 this Advent season!
In this proverb, we are told that a person is blessed for their generosity. I believe that we can all testify to the notion that our economic woes, the number of people living in poverty and on food stamps, and the general attitude of selfishness that pervades our culture are directly related to a lack of generosity and the prevalence of greed. Today, on the Family Life Network radio station, they ran their daily contest, but today, the winner received a DVD and was encouraged to give it away in the spirit of Christmas. Many churches will begin collecting food to distribute to the poor in their local areas. This man in Proverbs 22:9 was blessed for being generous and sharing his food with the poor. So if we know that we will be blessed for our giving, why is it such a difficult thing to be generous today?
Christmas is coming soon, the time when we celebrate the coming of the savior and the reason for his coming, which was to suffer and die for our sins and to provide a pathway to salvation! That gift is a model that we can follow too. Not necessarily the sacrifice of our lives, but certainly we can make some sacrifices and be generous with the overabundance that we have been so richly blessed with by God!
How have you been generous recently? Do you have a habit of giving generously to your church or to a food pantry or shelter organization? Have you experienced the joy that giving brings and the blessings that are received as a result of generosity? I encourage you to think about how generous you have been recently and how you can increase your generosity.
Be generous with your possessions, your money, and your food. Be blessed like the man of generosity in Proverbs 22:9 this Advent season!
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