When We Give, We Receive

When We Give, We Receive

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

Matthew 25:29

We do much in life to care for ourselves and protect our finances. We believe that we should be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, but sometimes we fail when we focus more on holding on to those coins than caring for others. In the Amish magazine Family Life a writer discusses that very thing in a piece titled “How to Win Money (and Lose Friends).” Here are a few points from that article:

Let your neighbors know they can’t expect any handouts from you. If they want to give you something—well, that’s up to them if they like giving things away!

Stop mailing cards and letters to people. Do you realize what postage adds up to if you keep buying stamps all the time? Just think how many stamps it takes in a year if you mail a letter or two each week. That money could well go toward something more necessary, or collect interest in the bank.

You surely get the gist of things by now. It takes a sharp eye and a shrew mind to make a go of it in today’s world. But by pinching every penny, you can succeed. Oh yes, one more word of advice. It is best if you don’t hold friends too high in esteem. For by following this creed you may accumulate a hoard of riches, but you will surely lack true friends.

By the world’s standards it makes sense that the more we protect what we have, the more we will have in the end. But that’s not how God’s economy works. When we share what we have, God will bless us. What can you share with others? Your friends hold you in high esteem for doing so, and even more, God will be pleased.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for being gracious and giving and for not holding back Your blessings from me.