“Be Generous: Invest in Acts of Charity. Charity Yields High Returns. Don’t Hoard Your Goods; Spread Them Around. Be a Blessing to Others.” Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (MSG)
God wants you to use some of your money to help people in need. God didn’t put you on this earth to live for yourself. He blesses you so that you can bless others. This is all part of God making you more like Himself.
Everything you have in life is because of God’s generosity. You wouldn’t have anything – you wouldn’t even be alive – if it weren’t for God’s generosity. Even your ability to create wealth is a gift from God. “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV). God is generous, and He wants you to be generous like He is.
Imagine your father is a billionaire, and he wants to share his fortune with you. But he knows you need to be tested first to see if you will be able to handle it. So he gives you a set amount of money and says, “I want you to learn to live on less so you can use the rest to help others. I’m going to be watching you to see how you manage and distribute my resources. If you do well, I’m going to will it all to you.” How will you use that money?
God especially wants you to be generous with the poor. Throughout the Bible, God tells us He is watching how we help the poor, and He attaches tremendous promises if we do so. For example: “Give to the poor and you will never be in need. If you close your eyes to the poor, many will curse you” (Proverbs 28:27 TEV). “When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back” (Proverbs 19:17 TEV).
You are blessed to be a blessing. The more you help others, the more God blesses you. He gives to you so you can give to others. Why? Because God wants you to be like Him, and God is a giver!
