This is a proverb that would receive hearty lip service in most religions and philosophies. I say “lip service” because when you come down to it, most would ignore it. I am not sure that Christians don’t ignore it, too.
Certain character traits are blessed in our lives. One of those is being “liberal” (generous NASB) (1293). We start with our immediate family, move on to the brethren, and finally share with our neighbors. I think there is a hierarchy of giving, but the principle of generosity permeates the entire pyramid. We are familiar with these words of Paul,
(Acts 20:35 KJV) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.We don’t have a record in the Gospels of Jesus saying this, so this adds to what we know He said. Ignore it at your own expense.
So? Be generous. It may be that your resources limit how much you can share but most of us can do more than we are doing. This is a hard time for many people. It is a time to let our light shine.
2 comments:
If you took away the praise that many "generous" people get, I think most would be less so. I suspect that most truly generous people give anonymously.
I have often wondered how many would continue giving to the church if they took away the tax deduction. I think we will find out in my life time.
Grace and peace.
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