One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25
“The more generous Americans are in their practices, the more they enjoy greater well-being in their personal lives… Far from being a draining cost that leaves the generous giver at net loss, practicing generosity for the good of others actually tends to enrich the lives of the givers in ways that are of fundamental human value. Rather than leaving generous people on the short end of an unequal bargain, practices of generosity area actually likely instead to provide generous givers with essential goods in life–happiness, health, and purpose–which money and time themselves simply cannot buy. That is an empirical fact well worth knowing.”
Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson in The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose (Oxford: OUP, 2014) 43.
Part of what I love about generosity research is that it provides empirical data that corroborates what the Bible teaches. Generous practice bless others and us in the process.
In this study, Smith and Davidson provide the cure for many COVID woes like depression and anxiety. Serve others with your skills and resources.
Like the Dead Sea, if you allow flow to come in and not go out, it leads to poverty. Choose a better way that begets life in you and those you serve.
How can you refresh someone else today? Through hospitality, sharing, or providing assistance, aim at enriching someone’s life and see what happens.