Proverbs 11
“….whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25b
Reflection:
Chapter 11 of Proverbs contrasts upright or righteous living against wicked or sinful living. Those labelled “righteous” or “blameless” here are those who follow godly
wisdom. Those who ignore God, and selfishly follow their own whims, are the wicked and unrighteous. Throughout the chapter, you can see a list of things that God hates along with things HE loves.
- The Lord HATES: cheats, pride, dishonesty, gossip, destruction, being unfaithful, negativity, gossip, cruelty, meanness, cunning people, crooks, foolishness, troublemakers
- For these things he ALLOWS: shame, becoming trapped in dishonesty, destruction by your sin, distrust, trouble, disappearance, ruin, death, trouble, punishment
- The Lord LOVES: honesty, humility, obedience, keeping quiet when necessary, secret keeping, graciousness, hard work, kindness, goodness, righteousness, generosity, using your wisdom
- For these things he GIVES: salvation from death, safety, protection, prosperity, life, rewards, friends.
God wants abundant lives for us. These things are for our good, there is protection when we are living right with God.
One of the things that God loves and is emphasized in this Chapter is Generosity. Generosity is defined as “the virtue of giving good things to others freely and
abundantly.” For most people, generosity does not come naturally. For Christians, generosity is seen as the result of God’s blessings in our lives. It’s not just about giving from what we have left over but recognizing that everything we possess ultimately comes from Him. When we understand that our blessings are a gift from God, we are called to share them freely and abundantly with others, as an expression of gratitude and love. Generosity, then, is the overflow of God’s goodness in our hearts, a reflection of His love and provision in our lives.
At Crosspoint, I lead the Prayer and Care Team. The main focus of this team is to be on the front lines of showing the love of Christ to others. We visit people in hospitals, provide meals when they are healing, and most importantly pray for those who are sick, hurting, in need of salvation or breakthrough. The members of this team are the definition of generosity. They step up and provide with very little thanks in return. Most of our team members tell me stories of how being generous actually blesses them. In Proverbs 11:25b it says “…whoever refreshes will be refreshed.” A generous heart is a heart that God can trust with his resources. It is not to make us rich but to bless others through it. When you sew bountifully, you reap bountifully.
Application:
Think about these questions…
1. Are you living a life that emulates things God LOVES?
2. Are you being generous with your finances, time, talents?
3. Are you setting the example and teaching those around you of what being generous looks like?
Prayer Focus:
Dear Heavenly Father, you are such a good God. You provide for our every need. You give us rules and guidelines of how to live right in your sight. You want abundant lives for us. Help us not to become foolish because we know it will lead to struggles. Help us to seek truth and live by it. Teach us how to be more generous. Teach us how to better love on those who need it. Have us be an example of how to be more like Christ. In Your Son’s Precious Name, AMEN.