A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. – Proverbs 11:25 (KJV)
52 Proverbs in 52 Weeks – Week 18
This week’s theme: Stewardship
Do you refresh others?
Picture this scene:
It’s a steaming hot summer day. You’ve been working out in the hot sun all day. You’re exhausted and you’re covered in sweat. You haven’t had anything to drink for hours, your throat is dry, you’re dying of thirst and there’s no water around. Then…unexpectedly…a friend shows up and hands you a huge pitcher filled with ice water. Water never tasted so good…you’ve been refreshed!
This is our third week on the theme of Stewardship, and a central part of Godly Stewardship is using our blessings to refresh others. Every day we’re surrounded by people who are metaphorically hot, tired, and thirsty. They may be struggling with any number of things—relationships, financial challenges, health issues, etc.—but whatever their challenges may be, these are people who need to be refreshed. Unfortunately, if we’re not paying attention, it can be easy to walk right by without even noticing they’re in need. Picture that same scene above, but this time your friend shows up with a huge pitcher of ice water and just walks on by without even recognizing your situation and offering you a drink. Not only are you not refreshed, but your friend also missed the opportunity to be a blessing. As stewards of the resources God has trusted to us, we should be on the lookout for opportunities to put those resources to use refreshing others.
In closing, it helps to remind ourselves that everything we have—our time, talents, wisdom, money, material things, health, family, friends—is a gift from God, and He expects us to share these gifts. Even more, He expects us to be generous in sharing, no matter how great or how small our resources may be.
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