Charity Equals Prosperity

Proverbs 11:25

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshed others will himself be refreshed!

The Problem: There are nearly eight billion “selves” populating “our pale blue dot.” Carl Sagan described Earth that way when he saw photos from Voyager I in 1990. Eight billion egos are held unmercifully together on this tiny blue spheroid floating in space. News flash: Charity is not an inborn trait of Homo Sapiens. (But you probably knew that already.) It isn’t normal for a 3-year-old to share his toy with a sibling without some major parental prodding. As adults, we don’t witness too many circumstances of others showing their compassion to their fellow man, either.

If we look at the animal kingdom, we observe different creatures returning to their den or nests with food for their offspring. While these might appear to be sentient, charitable acts; in reality, they merely ensure the survival of the species. Beasts of the Serengeti gather around a “kill” and share the plentiful protein, with a few leftovers for vultures and hyenas. We might stretch our imaginations and call these events forms of generosity in Nature. Yet, appearances do deceive. The animal kingdom has no free will. This life-preservation trait is hard-wired into them. What we see is just “them being them.”

Man is not an animal, however. He has free will and he uses it, sometimes abuses it, daily. Charity is a learned trait that we, as members of our race choose to adapt; or not. Our parents might strongly urge us to develop a compassionate behavior while we’re still young. But sooner or later we discover that there’s no law saying we must share our “toys” with others. “Nobody can make me give away my stuff!” In today’s world, we won’t be shunned by society if we choose to walk past a person in need. Other people don’t care if we look the other way when confronted with the destitute. (It’s because they’re looking the other way, too!) Society tells us that we don’t have to interact. But if our thoughts were not silent but amplified, the world would hear our many conflicting emotions. “Yeah, he looks poor, but I bet it’s just an act! I really don’t want to get involved. What if he’s trying to steal my stuff? I need my stuff! He can’t have my stuff! Leave my stuff alone!” (Then the world would hear the sound of our footsteps quickly receding.) 

Quite possibly by this time, our attitudes and belief systems will have been indelibly set, rock-hard! Our intolerant and ungracious position is permanently engraved on our heart of stone. Think of it! A planet with almost eight billion of these hearts.

The Promise: Now for the good news. Almighty God pledges something right there in His Word! He gives us a guarantee; an iron-clad surety. If we share our “toys” He’ll give us more to play with. And the new “toys” He gives us will be better than the first ones we had. We all seem to live in a fuzzy paradox when it comes to the following matter: the harder we work to hold on to what we have, the easier it is to lose. Go ahead. Lock it up in vaults! Put it in offshore accounts in the Caymans! Bury it in the backyard in an old Chase & Sanborn coffee can! And, of course, the old standby: The First Bank and Trust of Sealy-Posturepedic! Our mattress. Whatever! It makes no difference. The wealthier you become; the more people will be aware of your “stuff.” More hands in your pockets. More “posers” wanting to get closer. Social media plies us with hundreds of scintillating reasons to part with your “stuff.” Stockbrokers invest your “stuff” so you can get more “stuff.” Lawyers take a third of your “stuff.” The government puts your “stuff” into brackets so they can efficiently and relentlessly tax your “stuff.” And all the while, your “stuff” just sits there and depreciates! It sounds like a no-win situation, doesn’t it?

It is, if we believe in what the world tells us! It’s completely wrong if we believe in what God tells us in “The Finer Print”. God wants to prosper us. He wants us to flourish and thrive with these other 8,000,000,000 “selves.” He tells us in His Word to live charitably toward them all; every one of them! Regardless of who they are, any race, any creed, or any color!  If we see someone who needs a refreshing, refresh them! If there’s one who needs uplifting, lift him up, for God’s sake! If he’s hungry, feed him! If he’s thirsty, satisfy him! “If you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to Me,” Jesus said. When we show our charity to others, we are rewarded with an ROI (return on investment) that ensures our prosperity. It’s simple, really: “Give more; get more! Charity equals prosperity!”

But there’s also another, less obvious dividend. There wells up in us an indescribable feeling we get when we perform a charitable act. Something deep within us tells us we’ve done one small thing, our tiny part to make our “pale blue dot” a little bit better of a place in which to live. It’s almost like we’ve brushed against a switch that flicks our whole purpose on, just for a second. And we can’t forget the fact that the generosities we show to others are the best things we can do in God’s eyes. He sees our obedience to His Word; and He simply loves it! He will regard our hearts as soft and pliable to His will; just the condition that they’ll do the most good. He regards our David-heart. So, my friends, be generous with your “stuff.” Keep a light grip on your “stuff.” Realize where all your “stuff” comes from anyway. Get crazy with your “stuff!”

Commit one act of radical and fanatical kindness to another each day. Great! One down, only 7,999,999,999 to go!

~ Proverbs 11:25

 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshed others will himself be refreshed!