Proverbs 11...To Give or Not to Give?

"A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself...One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." (Prov. 11:17, 24)

We often view our money as OUR money. "It's mine and I'll do what I want with it," we often say. After all, we worked hard for it, right? We did it! We earned it! It's ours!

Yes, it is our money and technically we can spend it on whatever we want. If we want to own a nice car, that's fine. If we want to have certain luxuries such as a big-screen TV or a jet-ski, that's fine, too. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God."

But at the same time, we've got to have the right attitude towards our money and our possessions. As the above proverbs indicate, we need to be liberal in our giving. In fact, if we're benevolent towards others, the writer says that we will grow "all the richer." So often we view our money as OUR money, but the Bible tells us over and over again that all we have is from the Lord, and that we need to use these blessings to bless others.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. The apostle makes a similar point in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." In other words, use the blessings that God has given you to enrich the lives of others. God blesses us that we might bless others.

Yes, it's your money, but at the same time, it's God's. When David was taking up a collection for the temple which would ultimately be constructed by his son, Solomon, he prayed to God in 1 Chronicles 29:14 saying, "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own we have given you."

How do you view your money and possessions?

The book of Proverbs tells us over and over again not to trust in riches, but to trust in the Lord. If we trust Him, we'll be taken care of. And if we use the physical blessings that God has given us to bless others, then certainly He will bless us.

To give or not to give?

Let us liberally give, not because we feel that we have to, but because we want to!