LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

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Solomon understood a dynamic principle of God’s kingdom – life is experienced to the fullest when it is given away.

Proverbs 11:24-28 “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”

This principle applies to every area of our lives, and yes, even to life itself. Just think of the truths presented in Scripture to support the principle of giving:

Acts 20:24   “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me; the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Philippians 3:7  “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”

Mark 10:28  “Peter said to him, We have left everything to follow you!”

Luke 9:23  “Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

All of these examples, and many more like them from Scripture, give us a clear statement that in God’s eternal plan for the fulfillment of man’s existence, there must be death for real life to occur. In John 12:23-25, Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

When we admit that the life we are trying to attain is unattainable in our own strength and by our own efforts, and we choose to die to that pursuit of what the world calls life, we will cry out to the God who created all life and who is able to provide true life abundantly, and He will give it to us through His Son Jesus Christ!

Once we have received God’s generous gift of forgiveness and eternal life, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power and motivation to apply the “give it away” principle to every area of our lives. If we are looking for joy, then we must give joy away. If we are looking for peace, then be a peacemaker. If we are looking for security, then we must give away our trust in the world’s offer of security and trust God alone. I challenge you to live by this principle in all areas of your life and discover the fullness that God brings. It goes beyond my explanation. I have never felt better about life and who I am than when I am giving myself away for the sake of another person. That is Christ in me, and you will feel the same fulfillment.

But what if we are looking for material blessing? Some would like us to believe that we can use this principle to make ourselves wealthier. Well, in God’s system, principles are only valid when proper motives are in place. If we attempt to use God’s principles for personal gain, we will lose. We must re-evaluate our primary motives and life principles, because the pursuit of wealth should never be what we are seeking from this life. When our motive for giving away resources is totally an act of thanksgiving and humble service to the King, God is honored and God’s kingdom receives all of the benefit. Then we will experience God’s blessings. Go back and read today’s Scripture passage and discover this dynamic principle – life is experienced to the fullest when it is given away. 

So when we talk about generosity, we are talking about more than just money. We who have been loved by God with the grace of salvation, and who in turn love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, have an uncontrollable desire to give life away, just as Jesus gave His away for us. Generosity is not an action; it is an attitude that results in action. Test your spirit today and see if the dynamic principle of generosity is active. If it is, act on it! If it isn’t, what needs to be given away so you can experience it?

Pastor John