Give it Away

"I am concerned for the poor but more for you.... To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh my friends! Enjoy your money; make the most of it; give none away; enjoy it quickly for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity." -Robert Murray M'Cheyne

We can all agree that times are hard. With the current economic woes, many of us are struggling just to keep our head above water. We are stressing over our jobs, our homes, and high gas prices. Many of us are held hostage to such worries and fears. However, it’s in times like these that God demands our trust and we become living examples of the faith that we proclaim, in a God that holds all things in his hands.

A couple of days ago I read an article about several survivalists, including a self-proclaimed “conservative Christian” (survivalist Christian - a bit of an oxymoron I might add), who are hoarding food and other things and heading for the hills…literally. To the average person this may seem a bit extreme, but in the same way our worry often drives us to kick into our own “survival mode” and we be become increasingly cautious and far less generous with what we have.

You may be saying to yourself, “there’s nothing wrong with looking out for number one,” but I believe it’s in times like this that we should be putting legs to our faith. Besides, it’s in our generosity that we receive the blessing of God. In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah asks a widow for food. The widow alludes to the fact that she and her son are starving and that she has enough to make them one last meal before they die. Elijah assures her that out of her generosity will come God’s blessing. As she gives Elijah what little she has, the Scripture teaches that there was “food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family” (v.15). She had every reason to be worried, and yet she trusted God enough to give what she had away. She found blessing in blessing another.

Additionally, Proverbs 22:9 reminds us that, “A generous man will himself be blessed.” Likewise, Proverbs 11:25 tells us “he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

Here is the prescription you need to deal with the current stress of your economic uncertainty… Are you ready?

GIVE IT AWAY. BE A BLESSING TO THOSE YOU ENCOUNTER. BE GENEROUS.