Most of us, it seems, would like to have more money. From the poorest of us to the richest, we all "need" that extra hundred, thousand or million that will "get us straight." Yet even when we do have extra money, it doesn't seem to solve our problems. Why? Perhaps we are extremely cost conscious, carefully guarding every last coin. Yet somehow prosperity always eludes us. But does a penny-pinching, miserly approach really work? Can we achieve financial stability and success by trying to get as much as we can and giving away as little as possible? No! If this is our approach, it's no wonder we do not make any progress toward prosperity, because this selfish way of life is directly against the law! What law? The law that says: "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (Luke 6:38, Revised Standard Version throughout). In other words, if we give, all that we give will be given back to us, and with interest! Impossible? I have a friend who, as far as I am aware, knows nothing of this biblical law of generosity. Yet he was practicing the law, in principle, for years before I became aware of this Bible statement. I was struck by his practice of "leaving something in a deal for the next person." He would, if anything, slightly underprice things he offered for sale. About 10 years ago he came across a run-down property - some land for sale at a particularly low price. He bought the property and renovated the house on the land. He then resold the house, along with a space for a garden, at a price that recovered his initial outlay and costs. The rest of the land, some 65 acres, became the basis of a highquality golf and country club, which has produced quite a profit! Generosity certainly paid off for this man. The most truly successful people in the world have been the most generous. King Solomon is reputed to have been the richest man who ever lived. He said: "He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed" and "One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want" (Prov. 22:9, 11 :24). Which way of life are you following? We need to change our way of thinking and living to one of helping others and being generous, whether it's with money, time, comfort, love or work. As Solomon said, here is our responsibility: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it" (Prov. 3:27). Of course, there is no guarantee we'll be as rich as Solomon was, but there is a guarantee we'll be richer than we are now: "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.... for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.... You will be enriched in every way for great generosity" (II Cor. 9:6-11). Can you resist trying this law? There is no need to remain in ignorance. Gravity, centrifugal force and other laws exist whether we know about them or not. So does the law of giving and receiving.
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