True Generosity!

The generosity of many people has followed them in death. From the wealth left behind foundations have been established, scholarships have been funded, medical science has been advanced, and many many other great benefits have been provided. Such generosity is worthy of note and commendation. However, how generous were some of these folks while they were living. There are many wealthy individuals who do provide generously for various causes (i.e. Bill Gates), but there are also those who horde their fortunes until their death, sometimes even leaving family fighting fiercely over who gets what. The real issue, however, is what kind of generosity is pictured in our own life?

Someone has noted that “To give in one’s lifetime is true generosity; to bequeath after death is mere convenience.”

Perhaps Solomon had in mind the challenge of considering “convenience”
rather than need when he wrote…
“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, TOMORROW I WILL GIVE IT’ -- when you have it with you.” ( Proverbs 3:28 ESV)

I have found in ministry that a lot of things happen at inconvenient times. To be honest, sometimes that has frustrated me. There have been times I have said to myself (or my wife), “I don’t have TIME for this right now.” The perspective which must be kept in mind is the importance of people and their true needs. There are situations when it’s money or possessions we are called upon to be generous with. However, there are other occasions when it is OUR TIME. And it is only in life that we can be generous with that. We cannot bequeath OUR TIME after death. We cannot provided others with an inheritance of TIME. Nobody sits through the reading of a will and hears, “…and to my children I leave six years to be divided equally between them.”

Some of the things on my “to do” list are less important than people. How about yours? Though material wealth has not been evenly spread among everyone in the world, all of us have been given the same number of minutes per day and WE ultimately choose how we will use them. May we use them wisely. May we spend them to the glory of God. And may we also be willing to use them generously for others. To slightly rephrase Solomon’s statement: Let us not withhold the TIME when we have it with us.

Have a great day EXHIBITING CHARITABLE CHARACTER TOWARD OTHERS!
Carl

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