Do you want to prosper? Prosperity is a state of living that most are working hard to achieve. Merriam-Webster simply defines this lifestyle as “thriving.” This is a life characterized by success and well-being. Naturally, the question then becomes, “How do I achieve such a life?” One of the keys to a prosperous life is given to us in the Book of Proverbs. This pearl of inspired wisdom says, “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:25). To thrive in this life, emphasis must not be placed on what I do for myself, but rather what I give to others. In other words, generosity is a key to prosperity.
Why is this so? In the second half of the proverb, note that being generous to others will likely lead to others being generous to us. No, this is not our motivation. We do not give to receive. God has richly blessed us (Psalm 67:6,7), and He has given us a great opportunity to bless others. However, what if we all adopted this lifestyle? Everyone would constantly give and receive. We would water others and, in return, be watered ourselves.
How can we become more generous? When we think about generosity, our minds go straight to money. While we absolutely can be more generous in the amounts of money we give to the Lord (2 Corinthians 9:7) and to others (Acts 2:44,45), there are many other ways that we can give. We can give something even more valuable, our time. Time spent in service, encouraging others, and working for the Lord and His people can be a demonstration of generosity. If we have a sister that cannot mow her yard, we should take care of it. If a brother is sick, we should be the ones to write a card, prepare a meal, and make a visit. If help is needed on a project at the building, we should help if we can. If we are young, we should give our energy. If we are old, we should give our knowledge and wisdom. As you go throughout this week, consider something you have and choose to give it to someone else. Give your money, give your time, give your energy, give your wisdom, give your listening ear, give a card, or give what you have to give. Be generous and be careful, because if you do, you might just start thriving. “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:25).
-Bryce Mayfield