“He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor” – Proverbs 22:9
We live in an age of consumerism. According to modern culture, we’re supposed to get as much as we can, buy whatever we desire, and focus solely on meeting our own needs. We’ve become a culture obsessed with accumulating more.
But the reality is, a mindset like that rarely leads to true happiness or success. When all you do is think about yourself and what you want, you’ll never be truly fulfilled or satisfied. King Solomon teaches us something different. Instead of focusing on ourselves, he urges us to focus on others. True blessedness doesn’t come from always seeking a blessing—it comes from being a blessing. Lasting happiness doesn’t come from doing things that only make you happy; it comes from doing things that help make others happy.
Some of you might be thinking, “I agree with what you’re saying, but I just don’t have the disposable income to give to others. I’m too strapped.” While I’m certainly not suggesting you should be fiscally irresponsible in your generosity, I will point out that generosity has a way of rarely leaving a person broke. I love what Solomon says in another passage:
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” - Proverbs 11:24-25
Generosity doesn’t always have to involve money or material things. You can be generous with your time—spending some of your “me time” helping others. You can be generous with your mind—using your knowledge to uplift and educate others. You can even be generous with your words—choosing to encourage someone who’s feeling down. Whatever talents or abilities you have can be used generously to benefit others.
So today, I encourage you to go against the grain of our “me-first” culture. Instead of consuming and accumulating as much as you can, aim to be as generous as you can. If you want to live a life that is truly fulfilling and blessed, then be a blessing to others.