Generosity

“If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied! But a curse upon those who close their eyes to poverty.” Proverbs 28:27

By John E. Schrock, Businessman

Underline the key concepts found in this principle.

Generous, Webster says, "It’s of noble cause, gracious, willing, and unselfish." Generosity is really a spirit or attitude which is usually a part of one’s character. It’s a part of the law of sowing. We are usually known for being generous or stingy. Generosity is similar to being liberal, but in a more controlled manner. It is giving and forgiving; it is considering others as you would want others to consider you. It is going the second mile. Generous people have an attitude of giving - not only money, but time, talent, and of themselves. They are always looking for opportunities to sow into fertile ground (prepared people) where change can take place. They usually root for the underdog and the unfortunate because they see what a person can be, rather than what they presently are.

There are two things that God cannot bless:

1 Stinginess. This will keep you from sowing into the future.

2. Laziness. This will keep you from maintaining what you have.
One of the things that has separated America from many other countries in the world is its "large" and prosperous middle class. Any nation that has the poor as a majority has not been teaching or practicing the principle of generosity as a foundation or cornerstone for prosperity. Generosity among us will cause us to bless and develop the poor.

A generous person will not just feed them a fish for a day, but will also teach them how to fish. He is concerned with their future not just their present. If we only feed the poor, their numbers will increase, and finally, we will go broke trying to do good. There is a law in life: anything that is fed will keep on growing. Our welfare system has exemplified that. A generous person or nation will not just feed the poor, but will also have a program of teaching and training that will change their attitude and perception of life, giving them vision and hope so they can help themselves and overcome their situation. Jesus said, "The Spirit is upon me and has anointed me to heal the broken-hearted and to bring good news to the poor," which means that there are answers and solutions to poverty. And it all starts with people who are generous and take the time to develop the poor and hopeless. "If you give to the poor, your needs will be supplied." How? By developing the poor, we increase the middle class. This will create jobs. They will have an income which they will spend. This creates buyers, and if this is duplicated, it will make a nation prosperous, which in turn will supply our needs. It all adds up to more producers, more products, more buyers, more consumers, more jobs, and less poor. Although we will always have some poor, they should never be an unmanageable portion of our society.

So, don’t just give money or food to the needy. Be a generous-spirited person but also give them dreams and hope that will help them overcome poverty. Teach them management, leadership, and skills so they can help themselves. Those who are stingy will only think of them as future competitors rather than consumers. They keep their dreams to themselves for their own personal gain. Closing our eyes to the poor becomes our own curse. So be generous, help the poor and receive blessing yourself. God’s ways work.

This principle is part of the one year character development program: Foundations For Achievement.

Thoughts to Ponder:
The tragedy of life is not that we have the poor but that we can't see the resource in them.