“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

John Wesley was a very wealthy man of his day, yet he chose to live a very modest life on as little as possible so that he might give as much as possible to the poor and outcasts of society in Christ’s name.  He would, undoubtedly, not have understood or tolerated the attitudes expressed today by the bumper sticker often pasted on the back of a large RV traveling down the highway—the one that says, “I’m Spending My Kids’ Inheritance”.

The idea of spending one’s personal, hard-earned assets on someone else is not a popular or comfortable topic of discussion at any age, but especially for those who worked hard to enjoy “retirement”. While generosity does not involve material assets alone, sadly these are the things that most often entangle us and detract us from living generous lives.  The issue is whether we trust God when He tells us that a truly full and refreshed life is a generous life dedicated to blessing others, and that not only are those who receive our generosity blessed, but so are we.

GRANDPAUSE: “People go through three conversions: their head, their heart and their pocketbooks.  Unfortunately, not all at the same time.”  — Martin Luther