Giving That Overcomes Greed - The One Year Salt and Light Devotional

Proverbs 11:24-25

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (Proverbs 11:24, ESV)

EYES GROW BIGGER IN an age of consumerism. They have to. Expectations rise, the standard of living grows, Christmas lists get longer, and the income and space we need to keep up continue to expand. Almost imperceptibly, an eye for acquisition turns into a penchant for greed. We hardly know where to draw the line between needs, wants, and excess.

Those who work in the business world often face greater temptations to conform to a culture of greed, though hardly anyone would label it as such. The God-given need and desire to earn income can easily morph into a never-enough approach to gaining more, and this attitude is considered normal. But the “culture of more” is certainly not confined to commerce; we all participate, even when our means are limited. Our hearts are becoming conditioned to being extremely liberal with our own wants and extremely tight with what we give away.

How do we cope with such a strong trend? As always, if we want to change the environment around us, we need to carry a very strong environment within us and refuse to compromise it. In this case, we carry the Kingdom attribute of giving into a surrounding culture of getting. We become generous in places where generosity makes no sense to the bottom line. We combat the spirit of greed with a spirit of open hands and open hearts. We flip the switch on society’s bad habits.

God offers wonderful promises for those who do. If we pour out where others know only how to take in, we actually experience the blessing others seek. The way to true wealth in God’s Kingdom is to give, not to acquire. Whether that looks like prosperity, sufficiency, or even just a very content heart, our generosity makes a statement. It points to a very generous Father who knows how to provide for his people out of the abundance of his supply.

{Father, why do we feel that we need to “get what’s ours” when you’ve already promised to give what is yours? Why do we assume we have no access to the riches of your Kingdom? Refocus my eyes, give me faith in the certainty of your provision, and make me a testimony of your generosity. Amen.