He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
It pays to give.
There is a universal principle at work called “the law of sowing and reaping,“ and it’s a spiritual reality. We see it in this passage in the terms of “refreshment.“ You give some refreshment and you will be refreshed yourself. Give some relief to someone else and you will be relieved.
When I was a kid I worked one summer for a family that was pretty well-to-do. They would have parties out on the lake, and it was my job to walk around and serve appetizers and beverages to the guests. Five poor friends and I were living in a guesthouse on the property, and our usually meager meals were augmented every time there was a party and we were called upon to serve. I could have rewritten this verse for myself: “He who serves a few refreshments will get to eat a few refreshments himself!”
Later in life, with a somewhat full measure of maturity, I begin to understand this idea in a deeper way. The scripture explains, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously“ (2 corinthians 9:6 NIV).
When God sees generosity that flows from us to others, whether it be in time or money or love, he takes pleasure in us. In a generous heart God finds a portrait of himself. When we give like God gives, we become a reflection of his bountiful love for all of us. God rewards us as we give freely by freely giving back to each of us more than we could imagine.
Here’s what this spiritual promise means to me.
You want to be blessed? Bless others. You want to be greatly blessed? Bless others richly!
You want to be loved? Love. You want to be deeply loved? Love a lot!
You want to be prosperous? Give. You want to be very, very prosperous? Give a lot!
Remember this: “Whoever so sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. In “it’s a fact of life. It’s the truth. It pays to give.
Next Steps. Write down your answers to these questions.
What did you hear?
What do you think?
What will you do?
Now talk to God...
Work Cited
Warren, R. (2014). Daily devotions: Transformed: How God Changes Us. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: Saddleback Church.
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