The Paradox of Giving
The Bible is packed full
of unconventional wisdom and paradoxes of truth. For example, we
must go “down” in order to go “up” (“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” - James 4:10)
Another example is that when we are “weak” then we are “strong” (“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:10) Another, we must “lose” our life to
“find” it ("Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it" - Matthew
10:39) Another, to be “great” we must be a “servant” (“But whoever would be
great among you must be your servant.” - Matthew 20:26)
When
Jesus walked this earth, He shocked the world with His unconventional teaching.
He would often take a commonly accepted cultural belief and flip it completely
upside down by using the leading phrase, “You have heard that it has been said…”
and then rocking their belief by saying, “But I say to you…”.
In our culture today,
there is a commonly accepted belief regarding riches and wealth. This is the
belief that to be happy and satisfied, you must get rich by paying yourself
first and holding tightly to the assets you’ve accumulated. The “path to
financial freedom” is to invest in your personal future. On this topic, like so
many others, the Bible is very unconventional. It may seem paradoxical, but
according to Scripture, the way to enrich yourself is to open your hand and use
your assets to bless and enrich others.
One of the striking truths of Scripture is that you cannot outgive God.
The more we give, the more we receive. Here in Proverbs 11:25, we are told that
the path to enrichment is to open our penny-pinching fingers and use our assets
to bring blessing to others. God’s promise is that “the liberal soul shall be made fat” (KJV). — He who
gives to those in need, in the true spirit of charity, shall get a hundredfold
from God's mercy. How wonderful is the Lord! He gives us the property, gives the heart to use it correctly, and rewards
us for doing so - even though all the fruit was found from Himself!
You have heard that it has been said, “Hold on to all
that you have, you never know when you may need it,” but I say to you, “Give, and it shall be given
unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.”
(Luke 6:38) Unconventional wisdom - If you want your life to be enriched, then
make it your aim to bless others. You will be soaked with blessings from Heaven
when you do.