Captivating Generosity: Blessings Through Giving

By Dean Collins

These verses from Proverbs 11 may be just the reminder we need as we seek to help our close and distant neighbors rebuild their homes and find their path forward after two devastating hurricanes.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Proverbs 11:25 ESV

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30 ESV

We resonate with so many of Solomon’s proverbs because they make sense. We have found them to be true. We have experienced their truth both on the giving side and on the receiving side. Jesus sometimes quoted Old Testament verses in his teaching, but other times you wonder what verse he may have had in mind when he delivered his sermons and lessons to the crowds. For instance, in Acts 20 the apostle Paul is talking to the Ephesian elders in a brief stopover in Miletus on his way to Jerusalem. In his comments, Luke records Paul quoting Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This teaching from Jesus, repeated by Paul, sounds a lot like Proverbs 11:25.

We don’t give in order to be blessed, but when we give, we discover that we are refreshed in the process. So many people are desperate for help. Our generosity sustains and encourages them. And receiving the nourishment the Holy Spirit brings to our souls gives us the capacity to give again and again.

Solomon also said in 11:30 that “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” I believe the first half of this verse is very similar to 11:25. The fruit of the Spirit expressed through our giving brings life to others. But what about that last phrase: “…whoever captures the souls is wise”? 

Maybe I was on too many youth and college retreats, but the first thing that came to mind was the game Capture the Flag. To play, someone usually makes at least 2 teams, and each team is given a flag to protect. The flag is visible but must be defended. The game is almost always played in the dark, and teams work various strategies to steal the other team’s flag and bring it back to their territory without being captured. And there is a lot of capturing going of the opposite team’s players who are put in prison and must be rescued. Lots of fun. But I am not sure that Solomon or Jesus had in mind that we would be grabbing non-believers and holding them captive until they choose to surrender to Jesus. That seems to go against the idea of God’s compelling love and grace, I think.

What if our generosity was so great and so far reaching that the recipients and those who are watching from afar are captivated by the willingness of Christians to help? It might just be that the wise who look on as Christians give their time and money to help cause others to think the wise thing to do is live like that. It is certainly better than being selfish and stingy. 

You have probably noticed that there is a lot of data that suggests that more and more young people are negative about the church. They see church people as negative and judgmental. To the generations behind many of us, we have not captured the minds of the younger generation with the love of Christ. And our youth may stay on the sidelines and outside the church unless we show them the captivating love of Christ with our needs and not just in our sermons.

Sadly, it is not just the youth who have never tried faith or attended church. We also have a problem with many of the younger generation who were raised in the church but now choose not to participate. What might happen if we show the generations behind us that yes, we want to share the good news of Jesus with our words and sermons, but first we want to feed the hungry, help the homeless, rebuild communities, welcome the refugee, and care for the prisoner? My guess is we would capture their souls, and they might believe that it is wise to follow Jesus.

Father, we continue to pray for those who are struggling to recover from the hurricanes. Help us to put legs and arms on our prayers as we give and as we serve those in need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Proverbs 11:25, 11:30; James 5:20; Acts 20:35 ESV

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
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