Wesley Zinn
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"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."

I came across this verse today in Proverbs 11. What is the connection between generosity and wealth? What is the connection between ownership and poverty? What is the difference between living with a spirit of open hands and living with a spirit of grasping and clinging?

Isn't it true that the more we give away the less we will have? Isn't it true that the more we can hang on to the more we will have? Come on, that's simple understanding, simple math, simply true - or is it...

But what if this verse is true? It seems to be saying the exact opposite. Let's look at the next verse:

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." The original Hebrew for generous is blessing, and the word translated man is really soul. Therefore, "a soul of blessing" will prosper. Also, the word refreshes is taken from "to water". If we choose to let water flow from us, out of a soul that desires to bless, then the refreshing water flows to us as well. Jesus said that the one who believes in him, streams of living water will flow from within them.

If you have a stream of water that is literally damned up, the water begins to stagnate and become unhealthy. The way to correct it is to undamn the water, which opens a flow of fresh water to that pool.

These verses describe a flow. A spirit of generosity is a heart that desires to step into the flow. By doing so fresh blessing and refreshing water continues to flow to that same heart. Notice, this has nothing to do with a false teaching of a prosperity gospel. A heart that gives simply to get is not a heart operating out of a spirit of generosity. A soul that desires to bless is what opens the flow, and the purpose of the flow is to continue to bless.

A spirit of poverty clings to what one has and is afraid of losing it. The problem is that the very act of clinging stops up the flow. The word for poverty in Hebrew is derived from the word lack. Therefore, the spirit of poverty inflicts poverty.

Out of a spirit of generosity flows a wellspring of life.

3 comments:

kimberly said...

so, wes, what things have been given back to you, in "refreshing"? i'd like to hear more about how the Lord has given to you because you have given to others - in any way. i'd like to read testimonies here, not just teaching. perhaps others reading this blog can recite how the Lord has given to them, in any way, when they have been generous. i'll give an example: when I have allowed myself to be loved by God first and then allow others to love me, which can be a huge risk for any of us, I in turn have been able to really connect with and love others, in very real and meaningful ways, and I have gained some really fantastic friends as a result. i in turn have realized, as a result of my love for others, that they have been able to love others more meaningfully and have gained more meaningful friendships - multiplication at work. :-)

August 11, 2009 at 8:57 AM
kimberly said...

one more thing, to continue with the verses: it is definitely possible to give without expecting to receive directly as was given. God will absolutely give back to us in multiple ways, as He desires, when we give out of a generous, willing heart. we are only able to do this when we are secure in His love for us, which is why Wellspring is a great place to not only receive healing, but to then go on to be fruitful and successful in our dreams and goals. when we can REST IN HIS LOVE, knowing that HE WILL give to us all we need for our lives, we then can begin to really advance in productivity and fruitfulness, by way of giving to others from the heart, knowing that our Heavenly Father will refresh us in HIS ways, completely trusting in His care and love for us. when we are focused upon the Lord first and then giving, as a way of living from the heart and spirit, everything else then falls into place, according to His ways - HE refreshes and gives back to us.

August 11, 2009 at 9:36 AM
MW said...

In some ways we could consider Charles Dickens' _A Christmas Carol_ to be a quasi-Christian extended parable. In ALL of fiction isn't Ebenezer Scrooge the character who most embodies the principle of Proverbs 11:24? Ebenezer Scrooge would make a good sermon topic for Proverbs 11:24a (after he has the three visitations) or Proverbs 11:24b (before the three visitations). While, admittedly, it's not a perfect fit, it sticks in the mind powerfully and has taught even the unsaved world strong lessons about miserliness and the need to bless others with ones wealth since Dickens wrote it in the 1840s.

August 16, 2009 at 1:15 AM

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