Don’t hoard your goods ...

---

Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 MSG

---

There seems to be a spiritual law of generosity in the Kingdom of God. Jesus put it this way: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." So often this sentiment is reduced to acts of charity rather than a life of charity. In a very real sense generosity and charity is all about humility. When we are generous we are humbly acknowledging our own poverty. When we are charitable towards others we are making a humble investment in their lives.

Sometimes in the bible the words charity and love are intermingled - both are used to translate the Greek word agápe which denotes God's sacrificial love for us. Perhaps sacrifice is the word that most defines charity and generosity? I wonder. Is one really generous if their gift does not involve sacrifice? Can one be charitable by giving what they no longer need? It seems to me that the charity that God really blesses is the kind that costs us something.

Thank you Lord that life is not found in things. Help us to loosen our grip on our possessions.

---