The Power of a Generous Heart

A preview of May's email-only article.

Ashley Green

The Bible has quite a bit to say about generosity.

And, while this shouldn't be your primary motivation, did you know that Proverbs suggests some pretty cool things will happen to you when you give freely?

Every month I publish an exclusive article for my email subscribers, and this month we're talking about prosperity, generosity, and obesity. (Yes, you read that right.) If you'd like instant, free access, fill out the form below.

Here's a snippet:

The KJV renders Proverbs 11:25 as, "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

It may be weird to think that getting fat is a reward for liberality; in the first world, we don't value fat. In fact, most everyone is obsessed with skinniness. Why?

Because in affluent cultures, it's easy to get fat.

McDonald's occupies a corner at every busy intersection, and our supermarkets have entire aisles dedicated to ice cream, cookies, and chips.

Because of this, slender figures are rarer. They are badges of youthfulness and sex appeal. Not so in other eras of history.

 
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Your Utmost Is Not Enough

Learning to trust God even when life doesn't make sense.

J W

If you've ever been disillusioned with life or disappointed with God, no doubt the emotion was born from a mismatch of expectation and reality.

You expected a long and prosperous life, not one shortened by cancer. You expected to be in your dream job forever, not to be laid off because of hard economic times. You anticipated your children growing up to follow the Lord, but they have turned away from the faith.

These unrealized futures send a shock to our systems, and God, being the omnipotent, omniscient being he is sometimes bears the brunt of our rage and bitterness. As natural as these responses seem amidst the throes of tragedy, in the end, we're only hurting ourselves.

But where do these expectations come from? Who says we're guaranteed a long life of prosperity or an existence free from conflict?

Consume This Proverb Responsibly

A preview of September's email-only article.

Justin Aikin

Every month I publish an exclusive article for my email subscribers. (If you'd like to join the club, fill out the form below. It's free!)

In this month's subscriber email we're looking at how to respond when faith becomes inconvenient.

Here's how the article starts:

I love passages like Proverbs 3. The verses are uplifting and optimistic. They offer a clear path for peace, health, and prosperity.

Yet read in isolation, these verses set the reader up for disillusionment. Without proper context, life's messiness might cause one to question God. The inevitable bumps in the road will test one's faith, pushing the Proverb-reader further from the Creator.

Specifically, examine verses like verse 16 in which Solomon seems to promise that those who embrace wisdom will become wildly rich and full of youthful exuberance. He wrote, "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." Wisdom, personified as a woman, will bring wealth and longevity to those who embrace her.

This is, of course, generally true.

Those who sow wise seeds will reap its benefits. Those who are wise in managing money will become wealthy. Those who live with integrity will receive honor from their peers. Those who exercise and eat right will feel better and live longer.

Usually.

The fittest people still become ill. Costly accidents or expensive medical bills still bankrupt the best money managers.

 

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Stop Asking for Snakes

Only God knows what's best for us.

Joshua J. Cotten

When Katie and I were looking for a new church home about eight years ago, we stumbled into one near our house that looked like a normal church.

But once we checked in the kids and settled in a pew, it didn't take long to realize this was not a typical church at all.

To Anyone Whose Life Is Going Great

Harsha K R (CC)

Dear Mr. Happy Go Lucky:

I am so thankful God has blessed you in innumerable ways, both materially and emotionally.

4 Ways to Be Positive (Even If You're Surrounded by Whiners)

You want to be a positive person. You really do.

But every time you try to think positively, someone grabs you and pulls you back down to earth. Maybe it's a snarky comment, a pessimistic outlook on your situation, or just plain whining. Whatever it is these people keep dragging you down.

And it's not like you can just cut them out of your life. These people are your family. They are your co-workers. Or worse: they are your (gasp) fellow Christians.

Maybe it's just time to join the whiners and pessimists. It would be easier that way. Besides, they seem to lead happy lives, right?

Does God Want You to Prosper?

Not long ago I read an article on Relevant Magazine's website lamenting the misuse of the following verse:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

The author complains of Christians using the verse out of context to apply to their personal circumstances rather than viewing it in its biblical context. (Read the whole thing here.)

Tax Credits (CC)

While I think that the article has merit, in principal it bothered me. Why? Because I believe deep down that God really does want to prosper us.

The piece stuck with me, and my mind wrestled with it in the background as I went about my business.

Then, a few days ago, I came across a verse that seemed to confirm my presupposition.