“It is possible to give away and become richer! It is possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.” Proverbs 11:24-25
By John E. Schrock, Businessman
Underline the key concepts found in this principle.
In any society, there are winners and losers. In most cases, the difference is in the values or principles we choose to follow. The Proverb states, "It is possible to give away and become richer!", meaning it is up to us to become richer or poorer. The balance is between holding on too tightly to our money, ideas, or dreams, or using that which God has given us to water or bless others.
This principle is one that seems contrary to our generation, where we are more concerned about our own rights and entitlements. We want to be the recipients of everything rather than being a blessing to others. This principle of sowing is indeed common in the Kingdom of God and should become common to all of us, because in most cases it is the difference between winning and losing. God’s ways will work; they were designed by God for properly managing us and our society. They may not always produce immediate rewards, but will always win in the long run.
This principle of sowing is a part of the absolute law God designed at creation. It is always followed by reaping, which is the harvest that naturally follows sowing. This law is preset by God and cannot be broken by us without suffering loss. If we sow sparingly, we will reap accordingly. Our Lord said, "As we measure (sow) in others, so it shall be measured unto us." There are two things God cannot bless, laziness and stinginess. Laziness will keep us from planting, sowing and watering; stinginess will cause us to hang on to our money and ideas that were meant to be invested in others for the future. Money and ideas are seeds that should be planted or sown into others. This will bring us rewards and a good future.
God is a strategic thinker. He wants us to be the same. He wants us to understand that holding on too tightly may cause us to be losers. The liberal (giving) man will become rich because he is generous with his substance, time and talents. His focus is on watering and cultivating that which he has sown. No matter how much we plant or sow, if we do not constantly cultivate and water, we will not reap in abundance. Watering means managing and nurturing the people, the products, the ideas or money that we have sown. It’s one thing to give money to someone, but another thing to follow up on the investment you made. We should not give and walk away. We should give and follow the giving to make it count. We should sow with expectation. When we water others, we water ourselves - by developing others, we develop ourselves. When we use what we have or give it to others, there is room for more for ourselves. A jar that is full has no need for refilling. That’s why the Proverb says that we may give away and become richer, but if we hang on to what is supposed to be given away, we may lose everything. Learning to give (sow) develops an attitude of generosity which will cause those we help, to help us in return. Sow generously - it is worth it! Try sowing a smile on everybody... and see what you get in return.
This principle is part of the one year character development program: Foundations For Achievement.
Thoughts to Ponder:
If you don't like what you're reaping, it would be good to start planting something different.