Part 6 (Your Best Life Now)

PART 6: LIVE TO GIVE!

 

CHAPTER 25
The Joy of Giving

 One of the greatest challenges we face in our quest to enjoy our best lives now is the temptation to live selfishly Because we believe that God wants the best for us, that He wants us to prosper, that we have the favor of God, and that He has much more in store, it is easy to slip into the subtle trap of selfishness. Not only will you avoid that pitfall, but you will have more joy than you dreamed possible when you live to give, which is the sixth step to living at your full potential.
 

 Society teaches us to look out for number one. “What’s in it for me? I’ll help you, but what will I get in return?” We readily acknowledge this as the “me” generation, and that same narcissism sometimes spills over into our relationship with God, our families, and one another.
 Many people nowadays are blatantly and unashamedly living for themselves. They’re not interested in other people. They don’t have time to help others in need. They focus only on what they want, what they need, what they feel will most benefit themselves. Ironically, this selfish attitude condemns them to living shallow, unrewarding lives. No matter how much they acquire for themselves, they are never satisfied.

 

 Friend, if you want to experience a new level of God’s joy, if you want Him to pour out His blessings and favor in your life, then you're going to have to get your mind off yourself. You must learn to be a giver and not a taker. Quit trying to figure out what everybody can do for you, and start trying to figure out what you can do for somebody eke. We were not made to function as self-involved people, thinking only of ourselves. No, God created us to be givers. And you will never
be truly fulfilled as a human being until you learn the simple secret of how to give your life away

 

You must learn to be a giver and not a taken

 

 When I'm tempted to be upset or worried, or when I lose my joy, the first thing I ask myself is, “What am I focused on? Where is the emphasis? What am I thinking about?” Nine times out of ten Fm thinking about my problems. Fm thinking about some concern or frustration in my life. I’m thinking about what I must do tomorrow.
When I get all caught up in me, it’s a formula for depression and discouragement. We must learn to get our focus off ourselves. The late singer Keith Green said it well: “It’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me,

We Were Created to Give 

 You may not realize it, but it is extremely selfish to go around always dwelling on your problems, always thinking about what you want or need, and hardly noticing the many needs of others all around you. One of the best things you can do if you5re having a problem is to help solve somebody else's problem. If you want your dreams to come to pass, help someone else fulfill his or her dreams. Start sowing some seeds so God can bring you a harvest. When we meet other people’s needs, God always meets our needs.

 

 I met a man not too long ago who was extremely disgruntled with
life, disappointed with God and himself. He had been highly successful at one time, but through a series of poor choices, he lost his business, his family his home, and his entire life savings. Now, he was basically living out of his car.
 

 He was deeply depressed, so I attempted to cheer him up and encourage him. After I finished praying for him, I gave him some practical advice. “Listen, sir, you5ve got to get your mind off your problems,”
I told him. “Get your mind off the mistakes you’ve made and all the things you’ve lost.” I told him, “If you really want to be happy, if you really want to be restored, you5ve got to change your focus and go out and help somebody else in need. 

You've got to sow some seeds.
 “Do you know that no matter how big your problem is today, somebody else has a bigger problem, a tougher road, a more heartrending story than yours? 

You can help make a difference in somebody’s life. You can help ease somebody’s burden. You can cheer somebody up, and give somebody a fresh new hope.”

 

 The man promised that he would take my advice. He connected with some men at Lakewood who help people overcome addictions. Instead of moping in his car, thinking about what a failure he was, he began spending his time helping to care for those drug addicts. He became a friend to many of the addicts, listening to their struggles, encouraging them, praying for them, and challenging them to believe for a better life. He became a giver.

 

 He showed up at church a few weeks later, and I’ll never forget seeing him walk through the front lobby He was beaming with joy He had a smile from ear to ear. I said, “Hey, man, you look great. What's going on?”
 He said, “Joel, I’ve spent the last two weeks taking care of cocaine addicts, and I’ve never had so much joy in all my He wiped a tear from his eye as he said, I've never been so fulfilled”, He said, “I spent my whole life living for myself, building my career, doing what I wanted to do, whatever I thought would bring me happiness. But now I see what really matters.
 We were created to give, not to simply please ourselves. If you miss that truth, you will miss the abundant, overflowing, joy-filled life that God has in store for you.

 

 Interestingly, my new friend went on to tell me how that week somebody had come by and offered him a job. He was moving out of his car and into an apartment. On and on, he related the great things that had begun happening to him in just a matter of weeks since he became a giver rather than a taker. And it all started when he got his mind off himself and began to help other people.

 

 When you reach out to other people in need, God will make sure that your own needs are supplied. If you’re lonely today don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Go help someone else who is lonely If you’re down and discouraged, don't focus on your own need. Get your mind off yourself and go help meet someone else’s need. Go visit the nursing home or a children's hospital. Call a friend and encourage that person. You need to sow some seed so God can bring you a harvest.

 If you are believing for your child to find God, go help somebody else5s child to develop a relationship with God.

If you're struggling financially, go out and help somebody who has less than you have.

 

 You may say “Joel, I don't have anything to give.” Sure you do! You can give a smile. You can give a hug. You can mow somebody’s lawn. You can bake somebody a cake. You can visit someone in the hospital or in a senior citizens’ center.   You can write somebody an encouraging letter. Somebody needs what you have to share. Somebody needs your smile. Somebody needs your love. Somebody needs your friendship. Somebody needs your encouragement. God didn't make us to function as “Lone Rangers” He created us to be free, but He did not intend for us to be independent of each other. We really do need one another.

 

A Rescuing Hug

 

 I heard an amazing story about a set of twins who were just a few days old. One of them had been born with a serious heart condition and wasn’t expected to live. A few days went by and one baby’s health continued to deteriorate; she was close to death. A hospital nurse asked if she could go against hospital policy and put the babies in the same incubator together, rather than in individual incubators. It was a big ordeal, but finally the doctor consented to allow the twins to be placed side by side in the same incubator, just as they had been in their mother’s womb.

 

 Somehow, the healthy baby managed to reach over and put his arm around his little sick sister. Before long, and for no apparent reason, her heart began to stabilize and heal. Her blood pressure came up to normal. Het temperature soon followed suit. Little by little she got better, and today they are both perfectly healthy children. A newspaper caught wind of the story and photographed the twins while still in the incubator, embraced in a hug. They ran the photo with the caption “The Rescuing Hug.”
 Friend, somebody needs your hug today Somebody needs your love. Somebody needs to feel your touch. You may not realize it, but there is healing in your hands. There is healing in your voice. God wants to use you to bring hope, healing, love, and victory to people wherever you go. If you’ll dare to take your mind off your troubles, get your mind off your own needs and, instead, seek to be a blessing to other people, God will do more for you than you could even ask or think.

 

Focus on Being a Blessing

 

 Don’t live a self-centered life. You have so much to give, so much to offer. When you center your life around yourself, not only do you miss out on God’s best, but you rob other people of  the joy and blessings that God wants to give them through you. The Scripture says, “We should encourage one another daily’’ It’s easy to criticize and condemn, to point out everyone’s flaws and failures. But God wants us to build people up, to be a blessing, speaking words of faith and victory into their lives. .
"Joel, I don’t have the time,” I hear you saying. “I’m so busy”
 How long does it take to give somebody a compliment? How long does it take to tell your wife, “I love you. You're great. I'm glad you’re mine.”  How long does it take to tell your employee, “You are doing a fine job. I appreciate your hard work.”

 

 It’s not enough to think kind compliments; we need to express them. As the old saying puts it: “Love is not love until you give it away” We should get up each morning with an attitude that says: I’m going to make somebody else happy today. I’m going to help meet somebody elses need. Don't go through life as a taker; become a giver.
 “But, Joel, I have so many problems and so many needs of my own . .
Yes, but if you get your mind off your problems and begin to help others, you won’t have to worry about your needs. God will take care of them for you. Something supernatural happens when we get our eyes off ourselves and turn them to the needs o£ those around us.

 

 The Old Testament teaches, “When you feed the hungry when you clothe the naked, when you encourage the oppressed, then your life is going to break forth like the dawn. Then your healing is going to quickly come.” In other words, when you reach out to hurting people, that’s when God is going to make sure your needs are supplied. When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.
 I’ll never forget what my mother did when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer back in 1981. After she got out of that hospital, she could easily have come home and just sunk into a deep pit of depression. But Mother didn’t do that. She didn’t stay focused on herself. She didn’t constantly dwell on that sickness. In her time of greatest need,
in the darkest hour of her life, what did she do? She went to church and prayed for other people who were sick or in need. She sowed those seeds of healing. And just as the Scripture says, as she began to help other people in need, her light broke forth like the dawn, and her own healing came.

 

 I’m convinced that many people would receive the miracle they have been praying about if they would simply turn their attention away from themselves, away from their own needs and problems, and start to focus on being a blessing to other people. All too often we spend most o£ our time trying to be blessed. “God, what can You do for me? God, here’s my prayer list. Can I have it by next Tuesday?

 

 We should concentrate more on being a blessing than trying to be blessed. We need to look for opportunities to share God’s love, His gifts, and His goodness with others. The truth is, the more you help others, the more God will make sure that you are helped.

 

 Let’s get practical. If you have things lying around your house or in storage that you are never going to use again, why not give those things away to someone who could use them? Those extra things aren’t doing you any good stacked in your attic, basement, or garage. If it’s not meeting a need, turn it into a seed!

 

 It’s not meeting a need, turn it into a seed!   

 

  A few years back I bought an expensive top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art push lawn mower. I was so proud of that lawn mower. Then, about that time, my dad went to be with the Word, and a lot of things changed in my life. I became a pastor and my schedule became much busier, So busy, in fact, that I didn’t have time to mow my own lawn anymore, I had to hire someone to do it.

 

 I stored my state-of-the-art lawn mower in my garage with all my other lawn equipment.

 

Every time I pulled my car into the garage, I could see it and enjoy it.

 

 One day as I pulled into the garage I heard a voice deep inside saying, Joel, you ought to give away all that lawn equipment.

 

 My first reaction was, Hey! Wait a minute, I paid a lot of money for that lawn mower. I’ve hardly even used it. It’s brand new. Besides I may need it again one day. What if I get fired?

 Our minds can conjure up all kinds of excuses when God begins unclasping our sticky fingers. Human nature wants to hold on to everything. So, being the deeply spiritual man that I am, I totally ignored that voice.

 

 Week after week went by, and every time I pulled into my garage, I felt convicted. There was my brand-new lawn mower一hardly used— and it was not doing anybody a bit of good. There was my leaf blower, my weed-eater, and my edger. There was all that other wonderful lawn-care stuff. 
I knew I was never going to use it again. I knew that twenty years from now it would probably still be sitting there. 

 But I just couldn’t bear the thought of giving away something so new, something I loved so much. After all, I had hardly even used it!
 I pulled into the garage another da” and I heard the voice again: Joel, you either give that lawn mower away, or you're going to start mowing your own lawn again. I gave it away less than thirty minutes later!

 

 You probably have some items like that lying around your house as well. Clothes you haven’t worn in years, cooking utensils still packed in boxes from your last move, books, your children’s crib and baby clothing, and all sorts of other things that you haven’t used in ages! Most clutter experts say, “If you haven’t used an item within the past year, give it away!” If it’s not meeting a need, turn it into a seed. Remember, we will reap what we sow. When you do good for other people, that’s when God is going to make sure that His abundant blessings overtake you.

 

 If you want to live your best life now, you must develop a lifestyle of giving: living to give instead of living to get. Have an attitude that says, Who can I bless today? rather than How can I get blessed today?
 To catch monkeys years ago, hunters would take a large barrel and fill it with bananas and other treats appealing to monkeys. Then they’d cut a hole in the side, just large enough that the monkey could barely get his hand and his arm through it The monkey would reach in the barrel and grab one of those treats. But when he clenched his fist, it would be too big to back out of the hole. That monkey would be so stubborn and so intent on holding on to what he had in his hand, even when his captors converged on him, he wouldn’t turn it loose. He was easy prey for the men with the nets.

 Sadly, monkeys are not alone when it comes to selfishness. Many people live like that, too. They live with their hands clenched. They are so focused on holding on to what they have, they don’t realize that it is robbing them of the freedom and the abundant blessings that God has in store for them. They are selfish with their money, with their resources, and with their time.

 

 How about you? Are you so focused on getting what you want, what you need, that you don’t obey that still, small voice when God tells you to bless others? Open your hands; don’t hold on so tightly God will not fill a closed fist with good things. Be a giver, rather than a taker. You won’t have to look far before you find someone you can help. There's a whole world out there that’s crying out for help. You have an opportunity to live unselfishly, displaying the character of God. God is a giver, and you are never more like God than when you give.
 God promised the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, “I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing.” We often read such promises, and say, “All right, God! Come on; pour out Your blessings on me!” But notice, there's a catch. We must do something; better yet, we must be something. God is implying that we will not be blessed simply so we can live lavishly or self-indulgently We will be blessed to be a blessing. Indeed, unless we are willing to be a blessing, God will not pour out His favor and goodness in our lives. We will receive from God in the same measure we give to others.

 

 “But Joel, you just don’t understand. I don’t have anything to give. I don’t have a lawn mower lying around like you did.”
Perhaps not. But it all depends on your attitude. You must be faithful in the little you have right now before God will bless you with more. A lot of people say, “God, when are You going to bless me?” But if we’d listen more carefully, maybe we’d hear God saying, “When are you going to start being a blessing?”

Whatever you give will be given back to you.

 

 Giving is a spiritual principle. Whatever you give will be given back to you. If you give a smile, you will receive smiles from others. If you are generous to people in their time of need, God will make sure thatother people are generous to you in your time of need. Interesting, isn’t it? What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

 

Live to Give

 

 I saw an interesting report about a young man in Saudi Arabia. He was extremely wealthy and lived in an ornate palace almost too grand to describe. He had scores of automobiles and airplanes. He owned several cruise ships just for his personal use. The man was rich beyond anything my mind could fathom.

 

 But what intrigued me about him was the interesting way in which he used part of his wealth. Every couple of months or so, he would bring in hundreds of poor people from his country He met with them individually and discussed their needs. Then, in most cases, he would give the people whatever they needed. If they needed a car, he would buy them a car. If they needed a home, he would buy them a home. If they needed money for an operation, he provided that as well. Whatever the need, he would meet it. He gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars and literally millions more in property and materials. Is it any wonder why his business continues to flourish?

 

 I doubt that the Saudi man practices the Christian faith, but the principles of giving are spiritual principles. They work regardless of nationality, skin color, or even religion. I£ you give unselfishly it is going to be given back to you. If you meet other people’s needs, God will make sure your own needs are supplied in abundance.

 

 The Bible says, “When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord.’’4 That Saudi man has developed a lifestyle of giving, especially to the poor, and not surprisingly, that which he sows comes back to him exponentially He has lent to God by helping the poor, and God will not be in debt to any person.
You may be thinking, Well, if I had all that money, I would do the same thing.
 

 No, that’s where you miss it. You have to start right where you are. You must be faithful with what you have, then God will trust you with more. You may not have a lot of extra money to give, but you can buy somebody’s dinner every once in a while. You can give somebody a kind word. You can go out of your way to pray for somebody in need.
Now is the time to develop an attitude of giving. Friend, the closest thing to the heart of our God is helping hurting people. God loves when we sing and when we pray He loves when we come together to celebrate His goodness. But nothing pleases God any more than when we take care of one of His children. Jesus said, “If you even give as much as a cup of water to somebody in need, I see it and Fm going to reward you.” He said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’’

 

 Somebody needs what you have to give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows? Maybe just like that little baby, putting your arm around somebody and letting him or her know that you care can help begin to heal that person’s heart. Maybe you can give a rescuing hug.

 

 John Bunyan, author of the classic book The Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back.” Make a decision that you will live to give. Be on the lookout each day for somebody you can bless. Don't live for yourself; learn to give yourself away, and your life will make a difference.

 

CHAPTER 26
Showing God's Kindnes and Mercy

 

 How we treat other people can have a great impact on the degree of blessings and favor of God we are experiencing in our lives. Are you good to people? Are you kind and considerate? Do you speak and act with love in your heart and regard other people as valuable and special? Friend, you can’t treat people poorly and expect to be blessed. You can’t be rude and inconsiderate and expect to live in victory

 

Are you good to people?

 

 The Bible says, “See that none of you repays another evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody” I Notice the words aim and seek in this verse. God is saying we must be proactive. We should be on the lookout to share His mere' kindness, and goodness with people. We must aim for kindness and seek to do good. Moreover, we need to be kind to people even when they don’t deserve it. We need to walk in love and be courteous even when somebody is unkind to us.

 

 When that coworker walks by you and doesn’t give you the time of day, God expects you to go the extra mile and be friendly to him anyway If you are on the phone and somebody speaks harshly or is discourteous to you, it’s easy to think, I'll just tell her off and then hang up. She doesn’t know me. She’s never going to see me. But God expects us to be bigger and better than that.

 

 When that checker at the grocery store jumps down your throat for no reason, your initial response may be to act rudely in return.

 

 That's the easy way; anybody can do that. But God wants us to live by higher standards. The Bible says, “We are to love our enemies. We are to do good to them that spitefully use us.” Daddy often said, ''Everybody deserves to have a bad day once in a while.” We’ve got to give people room to have a bad day

 

 If somebody flies off the handle at you, instead of retaliating and giving them a piece of your mind, why not show them some of God's grace and mercy? Aim for kindness and give them a word of encouragement. After all, you don5t know what they may be going through. That person5s child may be in the hospital. His or her mate may have just walked out; they may be living in hell on earth. If you return their venom with more vitriol, you could escalate the conflict, or your response could be the final straw that causes them to give up and sink into utter despair. Neither scenario is pleasing to God.

 

 When you are placed in awkward situations where somebody doesn’t treat you right, you have a golden opportunity to help heal a wounded heart. Keep in mind, hurting people often hurt other people as a result of their own pain. If somebody is rude and inconsiderate, you can almost be certain that they have some unresolved issues inside. They have some major problems, anger, resentment, or some heartache they are trying to cope with or overcome. The last thing they need is for you to make matters worse by responding angrily

 

 Evil is never overcome by more evil. If you mistreat people who are mistreating you, you will make matters worse. When you express anger to somebody who has been angry with you, it’s like adding fuel to a fire. No, we overcome evil with good. When somebody hurts you, the only way you can overcome it is by showing them mere' forgiving them, and doing what is right.

 

 Keep taking the high road and be kind and courteous. Keep walking in love and have a good attitude. God sees what you're doing. He sees you going the extra mile to do what’s right, and He will make sure your good actions and attitude will overcome that evil. If you’ll keep doing the right thing, you will come out far ahead of where you would have been had you fought fire with fire.

 

 The Bible says, “God is our vindicator." He will not let you lose out. You may think you're getting the short end of the stick, but when it’s all said and done, God will make sure that you don't lose anything
truly valuable. Moreover, He’ll make sure you get your just reward. Your responsibility is to remain calm and peaceable even when those around you are not.

 

Overcome Evil with Good

 

 I called a restaurant one night to order a pizza. I often ordered pizzas from this particular establishment, and each time I placed an order, the clerk asked for my phone number. I got in the habit of giving them my phone number right up front so we could save a bit of time.
 On this night, a woman answered the phone. I politely said, “Hello, my phone number is 713 . .”
 “Sir, I am not ready for your phone number” the woman snarled into the phone. “And when I get ready for your phone number, I will ask you for your phone number!5,

 

 I could hardly believe that someone working with the public could be so cantankerous and rude. My initial instinct was to respond, “Listen, lady! I’ll give you my phone number whenever I feel like it. I’ll call you at midnight with my phone number if I want to!” My mind instantly considered ordering about twenty or thirty pizzas and sending them to the wrong addresses. In my imagination, I could see that lady running all over town attempting to deliver pizzas to people who hadn’t ordered them!

 

 Fortunately, I was able to maintain my composure. I kept telling myself, You are the pastor of a church. Behave!
 I don’t always do what’s right, but in this case, I made a decision that I was going to overcome evil with good. I recognized that the woman was just having a bad day; something was bothering her that had nothing to do with me or my phone number. I decided I was going to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem. I took her on as a personal mission project, determined that I would do whatever I could to cheer her up.

 

 I began by complimenting her work. (I had to really use my imagination!) I said, “You make the best pizzas in the world.   I’ve been ordering from you folks for years, and your food is wonderful. Your delivery is great; you are always on time; you're running a first-class operation.” On and on I went, trying to encourage her. I said, “I appreciate your being so efficient and answering the phone so quickly

 

 And I’ll tell you, when I talk to your boss, I’m going to recommend that he give you a raise.” By the time I got through, she not only took my phone number, she threw in some hot wings and sodas and coupons for more pizza!

 

 That’s overcoming evil with good. I didn5t know what she was dealing with at work or what she was going through at home. Who knows what was going on in her personal life? But it wasn't hard to figure out that she was having a bad day She needed somebody to encourage her, to cheer her up, to let her know that she mattered, and to tell her she was good at her job. That pizza order was a small matter, but it was a giant opportunity for me to share God’s kindness with a woman who needed it.
 The Bible says, “Love overlooks a person’s faults.’’ That’s not always easy but love believes the best in every person.

Anybody can return evil for evil, but God wants His people to help heal wounded hearts.

 

Anybody can return evil for evil, but God wants

His people to help heal wounded hearts.

 

 If somebody is not treating you right today go out of your way to be kinder than usual to that person. If your husband is not serving God, don’t go around beating him over the head with your Bible, preaching at him, nagging him, coercing him to come to church with you. No, just start being extra kind to him. Start loving him in a fresh way The Bible says, “It is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.” If you will be extra good and inordinately kind, before long God’s goodness expressed through you will overcome that evil. Friend, love never fails.

 

 If anybody had a right to return evil instead of love, it was Joseph, the famed young man with the coat of many colors. His brothers hated him so much they threw him into a deep pit and were going to kill him, but “out of the kindness of their hearts" they decided instead to sell him into slavery Years went by, and Joseph experienced all sorts of troubles and heartaches. But Joseph kept a good attitude, and God continued to bless him. After thirteen years of being in prison for a crime he didn’t even commit, God supernaturally promoted him to the second highest position in Egypt.

 Joseph was in charge of the food supply when a famine struck the land, and his brothers traveled to Egypt, hoping to buy provisions for their families. At first they didn’t recognize Joseph. Joseph finally said, “Don’t you know who I am? I am Joseph, your brother. I’m the one you threw into the pit. I5m the one you tried to kill, the brother you sold into slavery”

 

 Can you imagine what was going through his brothers' minds? Imagine the fear that must have gripped their hearts! This was Joseph's opportunity to pay back his brothers for the years of pain and suffering they had caused him. Now their lives were in his hands.
 Joseph could have ordered them killed or imprisoned for life. But Joseph said, “Don’t be afraid. Fm not going to harm you. I'm going to do good to you. Fm going to give you all the food you need”

 

 Is it any wonder why Joseph was so blessed? No wonder God’s hand of favor was on him in such a strong way Joseph knew how to extend mercy Joseph knew how to treat people right.
 The Bible says, “Love doesn5t hold a grudge. Love doesn’t harbor unforgiveness.’’ You may have people in your life who have done you great wrong, and you have a right to be angry and bitter. You may feel as though your whole life has been stolen away by somebody who has mistreated you or deceived you. But if you will choose to let go of your grudge and forgive them, you can overcome that evil with good. You can get to the point where you can look at the people who have hurt you and return good for evil. If you do that, God will pour out His favor in your life in a fresh way He will honor you; He will reward you, and He’ll make those wrongs right.

 

 When you can bless your worst enemies and do good to those who have used or abused you, that’s when God will take that evil and turn it around for good. No matter what you’ve gone through, no matter who hurt you or whose fault it was, let it go. Don’t try to get even. Don’t hold a grudge. Don’t try to pay them back. God says show mercy Aim for kindness. Seek to do good.
 You may be thinking, But Joel, that’s just not fair!
 No, it’s not. But life is not fair. We have to remember that God is the one keeping the score. He is in control. And when you bless your enemies, you will never lose. God will always make it up to you.

 

Go the Extra Mile 

 

 God told Abraham to pack up his family and head toward a better land. Abraham moved all his flocks, his herds, his family, and even his extended family members. They traveled for months and finally made it to their new land. After living there for a while, they discovered that the portion of land where they settled wasn’t able to support them with enough food and water for all the people and their flocks and herds.

 

 Abraham said to his nephew Lot, “We need to split up.” He said, “You choose whichever part of the land you would like to have, and I’ll take whatever is left.” Notice how kind Abraham was to his nephew. Lot looked around and saw a beautiful valley with luscious green pastures and rolling hills and ponds. He said, “Abraham, that’s what I want. That’s where my part of the family will settle”

 

 Abraham said, “Fine; go and be blessed.” Abraham could have said, “Lot, you’re not going to have that land. That’s the best land. I’ve done all the work. I've led this journey God spoke to me, not to you. I should get the first choice?” Abraham didn’t do that He was bigger than that. He knew God would make it up to him.

 

 But I’m sure after Abraham realized what was left over for him, he was disappointed nonetheless. His portion was arid, barren, desolate wasteland. Think of it; Abraham had traveled a long distance. He’d gone to great effort in search of a better land, in search of a better life. Now, because of his generosity and kind heart, he was relegated to living on the scruffy part of the land. I’m sure he thought, God, why do people always take advantage of my goodness? God, why do I always get the short end of the stick? That boy Lot wouldn}t have had anything if I hadn’t given it to him.

 

 Maybe you feel that you’re the one who’s doing all the giving in some situation. Perhaps you are the parent of an ungrateful child. Maybe your former spouse is taking advantage of you in a divorce settlement. Possibly your company is talking about “downsizing” after you have given them the best years of your life. Perhaps you are the one who’s always going the extra mile. You’re the peacemaker in the family Because people know you are kind, generous, and friendly they tend to take advantage of you or not appreciate you.

 

 But God sees your integrity Nothing that you do goes unnoticed by
God. He’s keeping the records, and He will reward you in due time. That’s what He did for Abraham.

 

 In essence, God told Abraham, “Because you preferred your brothers, because you treated your relative kindly because you went the extra mile to do what is right, I’m not going to give you a small portion of land; Fm going to give you an abundant blessing. Fm going to give you thousands and thousands of acres; miles and miles of land. All that you can see is going to be yours.”
 Don’t grow weary in well doing. God is a just God, and He sees not just what you are doing but why you are doing it. God judges our motives as well as our actions. And because of your unselfishness, because you prefer others, because you’re aiming for kindness, one day God will say to you as He did to Abraham, “As far as you can see, Fm going to give it to you.”

 

 Sometimes when we’re good to people and we go the extra mile, we have a tendency to think, I’m letting people walk all over me. I’m letting them take advantage of me. They^e taking what rightfully belongs to me.
 That’s when you have to say, “Nobody is taking anything from me. I am freely giving it to them. I’m blessing them on purpose, knowing that God is going to make it up to me.”
 Think of the biblical story of Ruth. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was an older woman who had just lost her husband. Ruth and another daughter-in-law named Orpha lived with Naomi because their husbands had also died. When Naomi lost her husband, she told those young women, “I’m going to move back to my homeland. Why don’t you do the same thing and just get on with your lives?,”Orpha took Ruth’s advice and went her own way But Ruth wouldn’t do that.

 

 She said, “Naomi, I’m not going to leave you all alone. You need somebody to take care of you. I’m going to watch after you. I’m going to stay close to you.”
 When Naomi and Ruth moved to Naomi’s homeland, they had no provision there. They had no money and nothing to eat. So each day Ruth went into the wheat fields and followed behind the reapers who were harvesting the crop. She picked up any leftover wheat and grain that fell on the ground. She was finding just a little here, a bit there.
 Then at night, Ruth and Naomi would make a meal from the gleanings of wheat. It wasn’t much, but the women were able to survive.

 

 God saw Ruth out there working hard in the fields trying to take care of Naomi. God knew that Ruth could have taken care of herself, selfishly living her own life. God knew she had nothing to gain by being concerned about the older woman. And because of her acts of kindness and her good-heartedness, God instructed a man by the name of Boaz, the owner of all those fields, to help her. He said, “Boaz, tell your workers to leave handfuls of wheat and handfuls of grain behihd for Ruth."
Now, when Ruth went out to the fields, she gathered up more than she could handle. She was blessed in abundance.

 

 God sees your acts of kindness and mercy as well. When you are kind to people, when you go around doing good to people, God arranges for others to leave behind “handfuls” of good things for you. You will find a handful of blessings over here, a handful of blessings over there, supernatural favors over here, an unexpected promotion over there. Everywhere you go, you will discover the supernatural blessings of God lying in your path, left there for you by God.

CHAPTER 27
Keep Your Heart of
Compassion Open

 

 When my dad and I were traveling overseas to a Third World country, our plane stopped to refuel on a small island out in the middle of nowhere. We had an hour layover, so we all got off the plane to stretch. The airport was nothing more than a makeshift building with a thatched roof and a few benches and a snack bar. I went over to get something to eat, and when I came back, I saw my dad talking to a bedraggled-looking guy who looked to be about my age.
 I had noticed the fellow when I got off the plane. Actually, it was difficult not to notice him. He was lying on the floor outside the building, and it seemed obvious that he had been there for quite some time.
 

 He and Daddy talked that whole hour while the plane was being serviced. When it came time for us to leave, I watched my dad pull out his wallet and give the young man some money When we got back on the plane, I asked, “Daddy; what was that all about? What was that young man doing here? What’s his story?”
 He said, “Joel, he was headed back home to the States, but he ran out of money He’s been here for a couple of weeks, all alone, stranded. So I gave him enough money to get home.”

 

 Daddy’s eyes welled with tears as he said, “When I got off the plane and saw him lying there on the ground, I had so much compassion for him. I just wanted to pick him up and hug him. I wanted to love and comfort him, and tell him that he was going to make it.” He said, “All I could think about, Joel, was, What if that was one of my sons? What if that was you? What if that was Paul? What if that was one of my daughters? How I would want somebody to help one of my children!”
 Daddy was sowing seeds of compassion and love. He was making a difference in the world. There’s no telling what kind of impact he made on that young man’s life. Who knows? Maybe that fellow had never before experienced the love of God and the goodness of God. But he’ll never forget that moment. He’ll never forget the time some stranger, just passing through on a plane, willingly gave him help in a hopeless situation. Perhaps, at his lowest moment, he’ll remember that somebody cared for him, somebody was concerned, so surely there must be a God who loves him.

 

 Seeds of God’s goodness and compassion were planted in that young man's heart, and he’ll never be the same. But notice, it all started out of a heart filled with compassion, when Daddy took time to listen to the young man’s story

 

The Ability to Empathize

 

 One definition of compassion is simply “feeling what other people feel, being concerned, showing that you care.” In other words, when you see somebody in need, you feel their pain. You take time to comfort them. When somebody is discouraged, you feel that discouragement. You take it to heart and you do your best to cheer them up. If you see somebody struggling financially you don5t just pat them on the back and give them a quick Scripture verse. No, you take time for them, and you do what you can to help. You have a genuine concern. You show them that you really care.

 

 Everywhere you go these days people are hurting. People are discouraged; many have broken dreams. They’ve made mistakes, and now their lives are in a mess. They need to feel God’s compassion and His unconditional love. They don’t need somebody to judge and criticize them, or to tell them what they5re doing wrong. (In most cases, they already know that!) They need somebody to bring hope, somebody to bring healing, somebody to show God’s mercy Really they’re looking for a friend, somebody who will be .here to encourage them, who will take the time to listen to their stor and genuinely care.

 

This world is desperate to experience the love
and compassion of our God.

 This world is desperate to experience the love and compassion of our God. More than any other human attribute, I believe our world is crying out for people with compassion, people who love unconditionally, people who will take some time to help their fellow sojourners on this planet.

 

 We’re all so busy We have our own priorities and important plans and agendas. Often, our attitude is: I don't want to be inconvenienced. Don’t bother me with your problems. I’ve got enough problems of my own. But the Scripture says, “If anyone sees his brother in need yet closes his heart of compassion, how can the love of God be in him?”1 Interesting, isn’t it? God’s Word implies that we each have a heart of compassion, but the question is whether it is opened or closed.

 

 Furthermore, the Bible says, “We are to continually walk in love being guided by love and following love”, When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore iL Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.

 

 Certainly, when God created us, He put His supernatural love in all of our hearts. He’s placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle, loving spirit. You have the ability to empathize, to feel what other people are feeling. Because you were created in the image of God, you have the moral capacity to experience God’s compassion in your heart. But too often, because of our own selfishness, we choose to close our hearts to compassion.
How can you tell if your heart is open or closed? Easy Are you concerned about other people, or are you concerned about only yourself? Do you take time to make a difference, to encourage others, to lift their spirits, to make people feel better about themselves? Do you follow the flow of love that God puts in your heart toward somebody in need? Or are you too busy with your own plans?

 

 If you want to live your best life now, you must make sure that you keep your heart of compassion open. We need to be on the lookout for people we can bless. We need to be willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced every once in a while if it means we can help to meet somebody else’s need.

We need to be on the lookout for people we can bless.

 

 If you study the life of Jesus, you will discover that He always took time for people. He was never too busy with His own agenda, with His own plans. He wasn’t so caught up in Himself that He was unwilling to stop and help a person in need. He could have easily said, “Listen, Fm busy I have a schedule to keep. I’m on My way to the next city, and I’ve already been delayed?” But no, Jesus had compassion on people. He was concerned about what they were going through, and He willingly took the time to help. He freely gave of His life. I believe He demands nothing less from those who claim to be His followers today.

 

 Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion. They are motivated by only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are self-involved and self-centered.

 

 But if you want to experience God’s abundant life, you must get your focus off yourself and start taking time to help other people. You must exhibit and express God’s love and goodness wherever you go. You must be a person of compassion.

 

 “But Joel, I’ve got so many problems,",I hear you saying. “If I spend all my time helping other people, how am I ever going to get my problems solved and my needs met? When am I ever going to get my life straightened out?”

 

  Take my word for this: If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs, God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of your problems for you.

 

Take the Time to Listen

 

 Interestingly, Jesus was very patient with people. He took the time to listen to their stories. He wasn’t in a big hurry He didn’t try to see how quickly He could get rid of a person so He could move on to somebody more important or do what He wanted to do. Instead, He patiently took the time to listen to each person's struggles. And He did what was necessary to meet their needs.

 Sometimes if we would just take the time to listen to people, we could help initiate a healing process in their lives. So many people today have hurt and pain bottled up inside them. They have nobody they can talk to; they don’t really trust anybody anymore. If you can open your heart of compassion and be that person’s friend—without judging or condemning—and simply have an ear to listen, you may help lift that heavy burden. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to care.

 

 More than our advice, more than our instruction, people need our listening ears. Many people simply need somebody they can talk to, somebody with whom they can be honest. They just need a friend they can count on. You will be amazed at what a positive impact you can have in the world if you will just learn to be a good listener.

 

 The other day a man came up to me and began telling me about his problem—in great detail. The person went on and on. About four or five times, I tried my best to jump in, to interrupt his monologue long enough to give him my expert advice, but I couldn’t get an opening. I thought, I have a wonderful piece of advice. I’ve got a great Scripture for you. I know exactly what you need to do. I tried and tried, but I just could not get a word in edgewise. I kept listening and listening, looking all the while for my opportunity, but it never came. Finally the fellow finished telling me all about his struggle, and just as I was about to give him my great wisdom, he let out a big sigh, and said, “Boy, I feel so much better. God just spoke to me and told me what to do.” Then he turned around and walked away! I was so disappointed I almost ran after him.

 

 Then I realized that he didn't need my profound wisdom; he didn’t need my solution to his problem. He didn’t need my advice; he just needed my ears to listen.

 

 We need to learn to be better listeners. God can speak to people and tell them what to do while they’re speaking to you about their struggle. Don't always be so quick to give your opinion. Be sensitive to what the real need is in the person you hope to help. Too frequently, what we really want to do is just shut them down, give them a quick word of encouragement, a semi-appropriate Scripture verse, and a fifteen-second prayer; then we can go on and do what we want to do. But God wants us to take time for people, to hear with our hearts, to show them we’re concerned, to show them we really care.

 I used to feel compassion for people all the time, but I didn’t know what it was. I thought I was just feeling sorry for them. But one day I realized that was God speaking to me, wanting me to pour out His love and show His mercy to people in need. Throughout life, God will lead us to people in need. If you are sensitive to it, you will discern His supernatural love welling up inside you, directing you toward a person or situation that God wants to help through you. But you must recognize what is happening and then follow that love. A lot of times we make God’s leading too complicated. We all want God to speak to us, to lead us, to tell us where to go and to whom we should extend kindness, love, merey or some physical aid. We think we’ll feel goose bumps or hear thunder in the heavens. But friend, when you feel love, you are feeling God. That’s God talking to you. When you feel compassion toward someone, that’s God’s way of telling you to be a blessing to that person. Go encourage them. See how you can make his or her life better.

 

 You may be in a crowded restaurant when, suddenly, you feel a tremendous concern and compassion for somebody sitting across the room. You sense a heavy burden for them, and you have a desire to help them. You may not even know that person, but you want his or her life to be better. That may well be God talking to you, prompting you to be a blessing to that person. Why not buy their dinner? Slip them a note and tell them that you’re praying for them. Stop by their table to extend a word of encouragement. Do something to express the love that God is prompting within you.

 

 Certainly, you must be discerning. Make sure that it is God prompting you and not some other motive. But more often than not, when you reach out with concern and compassion, your overture will not be squelched or rejected.
 “Come on, Joel, those people in that restaurant are doing fine. They're over there laughing and having a good time. They look as though they don’t have a problem in the world. They don5t need my money They’re going to think I'm crazy if I pay for their dinner or tell them I’m praying for them.”

 

 Perhaps, but probably not. God would not give you such a strong level of compassion for them if they didn’t need what you have to give.

 

 They may be smiling on the outside, but you don't know what they’re going through on the inside. Only God can see a person's heart. And God knows when people are hurting. He knows the people who are lonely He knows the people who are about to make a wrong decision. And if you’ll dare to step out in faith and reach out to them in love, letting them know you’re concerned, you could be the one who helps turn a life around or keeps a person’s life on the right course. You never know what one word of encouragement might do. You don’t know the impact just one simple act of kindness might have.

 

 A few years back, I woke up one morning and I had a real strong concern and compassion for an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him in years, and hadn’t talked to him for at least fifteen years, but he was one of my best friends growing up. We played a lot of sports and spent a lot of time together. All day long, I kept thinking about him, for no apparent reason. I was just hoping that he was doing okay

 

 It finally dawned on me that maybe God was speaking to me, and I needed to take action. I decided to give my old buddy a call to say hello and see how he was doing. I had no idea how to get in touch with him. But I finally tracked him down and called him.

 

 My friend answered the phone, and I said, “Hey, man, this is Joel Osteen. I’ve been thinking about you all day long. How have you been doing?”

 

 The phone went completely silent. Not a word. I thought, This is very odd. I didn’t know what was going on, but I stayed on the line. After about fifteen or twenty seconds, I noticed that my buddy was all broken up on the other end of the line. I could tell that he was weeping. This fellow was one of the toughest athletes around as we were growing up. I had never seen him shed a tear. But he was now. When he finally composed himself, he said, “Joel, my wife just recently left me. And I’ve been so depressed and discouraged.,” He said, “I’m not a religious person, but I prayed, 'God, if You're still out there, if You really love me, if You’re concerned at all, just give me some kind of sign.” And then the phone rang, and it was you.”

 

 God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the end of their rope. If you will follow that flow of love and compassion wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person's prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief
phone call can have. You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely person to hear the words “ I've been thinking about you. I’ve been concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to follow the flow of God's divine love. He will direct your paths and show you where and how to express it.

 

 Sometimes, you may have to risk appearing silly or superspiritual, or downright foolish, but it would be better to err on the side of being too compassionate than to miss a person for whom you may be the last hope. About fifteen years ago, during a service at Lakewood Church, my mother was at the podium sharing a Scripture and welcoming visitors as usual. Suddenly, Mother put her head down, and for no apparent reason, she began to weep. Sitting in the audience, my family and I wondered what was going on. Mother stood there silently for thirty or forty-five more seconds. Finally, she lifted her head and said, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Somebody here is about to do something you shouldn’t do. Please, don’t do it!”

 

 It was a moving time in our service. The entire congregation spent a few minutes praying. About that time, we noticed a beautiful young lady walking from the very back of the auditorium. She was crying as she approached the front of the building. After talking with her, we discovered that she had been extremely depressed because she was pregnant and not married. Her mind was filled with torment to the degree that she felt her life just wasn’t worth living. She had already written her suicide note and left it at home. But something told her to go to church one more time. She had not intended to change her mind, but Mother’s words, “Don’t do it. Don't do it,” supernaturally pierced her heart. All at once, she realized God loved her. God was concerned about her. God had a future for her. That one moment saved her life and totally turned her life around.

 

 How we need to learn to follow the flow of God’s compassion! Had Mother thought, Oh, thats silly. People will think. I’m being overly dramatic or foolish, a young woman and her baby may not be alive today

 

 God may be prompting you about somebody to whom you need to reach out. If somebody’s name keeps coming up in your mind, and you feel compassion toward them, do something about it. Don’t put it off; make a phone call; stop by to visit that person, or make contact in another appropriate manner.

 

 “I’ll pray for them privately,” you may say “Isn’t that good enough?” It might be, if that is what God is directing you to do. But often, God wants you to do more than pray for them. He wants you to contact that person to whom He wants to express love and compassion. Perhaps He wants you to go see them face-to-face, to look them in the eye and tell them that God loves them and you love them. He may instruct you to put your arms around that “untouchable” person and let them feel your concern. If he or she is too far away, God may direct you to pick up the phone and let them hear your voice expressing His love for that person. Don’t rule out a road trip, but if God leads you to travel to a distant location to express His love and compassion, He will provide specific, unequivocal directions.

 

 You may be feeling a special love toward your parents. Perhaps you've been saying, “As soon as I get time, I’m going to visit them. As soon as I get through this busy season at work, as soon as my kids get a break from school, then I'm going to go.” Don’t put it off. We have to understand, when God’s compassion rises up in us and we feel a special love toward someone, it is there for a specific reason. God didn’t stimulate compassion within you for that person just because He was bored and didn’t have anything else to do. No, God put that concern in your heart and mind on purpose. Now you need to respond to it. Recognize that although your understanding may be limited, God can see the future. He can see the big picture for our lives. We must learn to quickly follow that flow of compassion.

 

An Irreplaceable Moment

 

 Early one morning a few years ago, I got a phone call from my dad. At that time, Daddy had been on kidney dialysis for about two months. He said, “Joel, I didn’t sleep too much last night, and I really need to get up to the clinic to take dialysis. Can you come and take me?”
 I said, “Sure, Daddy I’ll be right there.” I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was around four o’clock in the morning. I quickly dressed and drove toward Mother and Daddy’s home. 

 As I was driving, I felt tremendous love and concern for my dad. Not a normal affection; it was a supernatural love. I began to think about how good Daddy had been to me, how proud I was to have him as my father, and how well he had always treated our family I just had this extreme desire to express my love to my dad. He knew I loved him, but this was something different.

 

 So early that morning, on the way to the clinic, I made sure my dad knew how much I loved him. I told him, uDaddy, Fm going to do everything I can to make your life better, to make your life more comfortable, to make you more proud of me.”
 Normally, when I took Daddy to dialysis, after he got all hooked up and the procedure was under way, there wasn’t much else to do, so I would leave and then return to pick him up later. The dialysis procedure usually took four or five hours, so I would go to work, run errands, or simply go back home till Daddy was done. But this day, something down inside told me to stay with Daddy I just pulled up a chair and decided I would visit with him and just be there for him.

 

 I hadn’t planned on taking Daddy to dialysis, so I had a lot of things scheduled for that day But I just knew God wanted me to be there with my dad. Daddy eventually fell asleep, so I ran out and got us some breakfast and brought it back to the clinic. Daddy and I had a good time eating breakfast together and visiting. Finally, he finished the dialysis and I took him home.
 As I was about to walk out the door of my parents5 kitchen, Daddy called me back and gave me a great big hug. It wasn't his usual sort of hug. He hung on to me. He said, “Joel, you’re the best son a father could ever hope to have.” It was a real special moment between us. I felt that we really connected somehow. I felt that I had accomplished my goal of letting my dad know how much I loved him.

 

 I left that morning feeling so good, knowing that Daddy knew I loved him, knowing that he was proud of me, and knowing that I had followed that flow of compassion toward him.
And that was the last time I ever saw my dad alive.
 That was the last time I ever got to hug him, the last time I ever got to tell him I loved him. Later that same day, Daddy had a heart attack and unexpectedly went to be with the Lord.

 

 Despite my grief and tears, I later thought, God, how good You are to me. Here that whole time 1 thought I was following the flow of love for my dads sake, just for his benefit. But now I realize You put that love in my heart just as much for my own sake. How rewarded I feel today knowing that on the last day of my dad’s life, I was able to express my love to him. How fulfilled I feel, knowing that I have no regrets. There's nothing more I would have said, nothing I would have done differently Fm at perfect peace.

 

 But what if I would have been too busy that day? What if I had not followed that flow of compassion God put in my heart? What if I had not been sensitive to that love and followed after it and expressed my feelings to my dad? I would have missed out on something precious, an irreplaceable moment in history一Daddy’s and my own.
 Most of the time, when we reach out to other people, when we follow that flow of love, we think we’re doing it for their sakes, for their benefit. But I can tell you firsthand, sometimes God puts that compassion in our hearts as much for our own benefit as for others”.

 

Keep your heart of compassion open.

 

 Keep your heart of compassion open. Learn to be quick to follow that flow of love God puts in your heart. Be sensitive and obedient to do what God wants you to do. You won’t be sorry一not now, or a million years from now!

 

CHAPTER 28
The Seed Must Lead

 

 One of the main hindrances to living your best life now is selfishness. As long as you are focused on what you want, what you need, you will never experience God’s best. But if you really want to thrive, you must learn to be a giver.
 The Scripture says, "Whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap.’’1 All through the Bible, we find the principle of sowing and reaping. Just as a farmer must plant some seed if he hopes to reap the harvest, we, too, must plant some good seed in the fields of our families, careers, businesses, and personal relationships.

 

 What if the farmer decided that he didn’t really feel like planting, that he was tired, so he “felt led” to sit around and hope the harvest would come in? He’d be waiting around his whole life! No, he must get the seed in the ground. That’s the principle God established. In the same way, if we want to reap good things, we, too, must sow some good seeds. Notice, we reap what we sow. If you want to reap happiness, you have to sow some “happiness” seeds by making other people happy If you want to reap financial blessings, you must sow financial seeds in the lives of others. If you want to reap friendships, you should sow a seed and be a friend. The seed always has to lead.
 The reason many people are not growing is because they are not sowing. They are living self-centered lives. Unless they change their focus and start reaching out to others, they will probably remain in that condition.

 

 Some people say “Joel, I've got a lot of problems. I don’t care about sowing seeds. I want to know how I can get out o£ my mess.” This is how you can get out of your mess. 

If you want God to solve your problems, help solve somebody else’s problem. Get some seed in the ground!

 

TAMINE IN THE LAND

 

 In biblical times, a great famine struck the land of Canaan. People didn’t have any food or water, and they were in desperate need. So Isaac did something that people without insight may have thought rather odd: “In the middle of that famine, Isaac sowed a seed in the land. And in the same year he received one hundred times what he planted and the Lord rewarded him greatly.” In his time of need, Isaac didn’t wait around, expecting someone else to come to his rescue. No, he acted in faith. He rose up in the midst of that famine and sowed a seed. God supernaturally multiplied that seed, and it brought him out of his need.
 

 Maybe you are in some sort of famine today; It could be a financial famine; or maybe you’re simply famished for friends. It’s possible you need a physical healing. Perhaps you need peace in your home. Whatever the need, one of the best things you can do is to get your mind off yourself and help meet somebody else’s need. If you’re down and discouraged today; don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Go find somebody to cheer up. Sow some seeds of happiness. That’s the way to receive a harvest. The seed always has to lead.

 

 When you meet other people’s needs, God has promised that He will make sure your needs are supplied. If you want to see healing and restoration come to your life, go out and help somebody else get well. The Bible says, “In times of difficulty, trust in the Lord and do good.”3 It’s not enough to say, “God, I trust You. I know You are going to meet all my needs.” That’s tantamount to the farmer not planting any seeds and expecting a fabulous harvest. Scripture says there are two things we must do in times of trouble. First, we must trust in the Lord: and second, we must go out and do something good. Go out and sow some seeds. If you need a financial miracle, go buy somebody a cup of coffee tomorrow morning, or give a little extra in the offering at church. If you don’t have any money, do some physical work for somebody;
mow somebody’s lawn, pull some weeds, wash their windows. Make someone a pie. Do something to get some seed in the ground.

 

 If you are lonely or lacking in friends, don't sit at home month after month, all alone, feeling sorry for yourself. Go to the nursing home and find someone else who is lonely whom you can befriend. Go to the hospital and find somebody you can cheer up. If you'll start sowing those seeds of friendship, God will bring somebody great into your life. When you make other people happy, God will make sure that your life is filled with joy
 We need to be more seed-oriented than need-orieiited. In your time of need, don’t sit around thinking about what you lack. Think about what kind of seed you can sow to get yourself out of that need.

 

Plant Some Seed

 

 When I was a young boy, Lakewood Church launched its first building program. We didn’t have much money but there was a little Spanish church down the street in a building program, too. One Sunday morning my dad got up and announced to the congregation that we were going to take up a special offering, not for our new building, but for that little Spanish church. Several thousand dollars came in that morning, and we sent the check straight down the road. Truth is, we needed the money more than they did, but Daddy understood this principle. He knew he had to get some seed in the ground. He knew one of the best things he could do in that time of famine was to plant some seed. It wasn't long before we had all the money we needed to get to work on our building project. We built that building, plus several others, and down through the years, we5ve lived by that principle: In the time of need, sow a seed.

 

In the time of need, sow a seed.

 

 An intriguing Scripture verse says, “It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. Daddy understood that if he generously took care of others, God would take care of his own needs. The same goes for you.

If you will focus on giving generously to others, God will make sure your

own life is refreshed, even if you must go through a dry, dreary wilderness.

 

 A few years back, Dan lost his beautiful wife of many years. He was heartbroken. But he decided instead of staying focused on his pain, hurt, and loss, he wanted to help somebody else. He was retired from the phone company, so he wasn’t sure how his skills could benefit anyone else. He said, “All I really know how to do is comfort other people who have lost a loved one.” His attitude was: I’ve been there. I know what you are going through.

 

 Dan started showing up at funerals where my dad was conducting the service. He often had no personal connection with the grieving family; sometimes he didn’t even know the person who had passed away but he went to the funerals simply to encourage other people, to show them love and compassion. Over time, my dad noticed that Dan had a gift for comforting mourners. One day Daddy invited Dan to be a part of the church staff, and today Daniel Kelley heads Lakewood’s “Comfort Ministry,”
 Daniel didn’t stay focused on his problems. He didn’t develop the selfish attitude of: 'Who’s going to help me make my life better? He was proactive and on the offensive. As he began to meet other people's needs, God began to turn his own situation around. Not only did God bring him through that difficult period, but recently, God brought a beautiful woman into his life. Now he and Shirley are happily married, and together they continue to sow seeds of God’s goodness.

 

 God will do something similar for you. If you’ll dare to sow a seed in your time of need, God will do more than you can ask or think. I rely on this principle in my own life. When Fm tempted to feel discouraged, I turn my attention away from myself and go help somebody else. I like to go to the hospitals and visit people when I’m starting to feel low. If I don't have time to do that, I keep a stack of prayer requests right next to my desk.

 

 Recently I had one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did. I had some major disappointments. I came home drained and discouraged. I sat down in my favorite chair and started watching TV just thinking about all my troubles. The more I thought, the worse I felt. Finally I decided to sow a seed in my time of need. I went to my office and found one of those prayer requests. I called a young man
who had been in the hospital for several months. I couldn’t recall meeting him before, but as I began to encourage him,

I could feel my joy coming back. I could feel my spirit being lifted. By the time I hung up the phone, I was a new person. I felt like I could leap over a wall.

 

 Friend, in your times of difficulty, don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Go sow a seed. Moreover, you don’t need to wait until you have a problem before you start sowing. We should constantly be on the lookout for ways that we can be a blessing, not just when our backs are against the wall. We should get up each day looking for ways to help others. If you will do that, the Bible says God’s blessings will chase you down and overtake you.

 

 Granted, the temptation to be selfish is strong. Many good people get sucked into the trap of living with the attitude: What's in it for me? How can you help me? How can you make my life better? How can you solve my problems?
 Our attitude should be just the opposite: Whom can I bless today? 'Where is a need that I can meet? Whom can I encourage? Whom can I cheer up?
 I’ve made up my mind. I'm going to be a giver in life. I’m going to do something good. I am looking for opportunities to sow some seeds. Why? Fve simply learned that planting seeds works! And I want to make sure that I keep my harvest coming in, in a big way

Do Something Out of the Ordinary

 

 Somebody once wrote to me, “Joel, I sure like that tie you wore last week on television.55 So I just boxed it up and mailed it to him. I thought, That is too good an opportunity to pass up. (Now, don’t write me and tell me you like my suit, or the car I drive. That’s cheating. You know my secret!)
 You may say, “Joel, I could never do something like that, giving something to somebody simply because they paid me a compliment."
 Fine, but do what you can do. You can give somebody a ride. You can call somebody and encourage them. You can go to the grocery store for an elderly person. You can do something. Start today!

 

 Learn to stretch your faith. Do something out of the ordinary If you want an extraordinary harvest, sow an extraordinary seed. Instead of sitting at home watching TV every night, why not spend some of
that time doing something good for somebody else? 

 Instead of going out to eat at an expensive restaurant, why not save that money and sow it as a seed? If you normally give 10 percent of your income, stretch your faith a bit and give 11 percent. Get a little more seed in the ground and watch what God will do. The Scripture says, “For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”5 In other words, if you give with a teaspoon, it’s going to be given back to you with a teaspoon. If you give with a shovel, it’s going to be given back with a shovel. And if you give with a dump truck, you’re going to get dump truck loads of blessings in your life!

 

 The Bible clearly says, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”6 If you’re not satisfied with where you are in life, increase the amount of seed you are sowing. The size of your harvest depends on the amount of your seed. Certainly some people live on limited incomes. It takes everything they have to make it each month. In my heart, I want to tell them, “Just hold on to what you have. You need that money” But I know that God’s principles are true. And I know it is imperative that the people with the greatest need continue to sow.

 

 Victoria and I were at a hotel eating breakfast one morning and a young man was waiting on us. When he brought our check, I opened it and found a note that said, “Thank you.” He had paid for our breakfast.
My first thought was, Oh, my! That’s so nice of him, but he’s just a young man. He’s probably not making more than minimum wage. He needs this money a lot more than we do.
 Beyond that, our breakfast was included with the price of our hotel room! All we had to do was sign the check, and it would be free anyway

 

 What a dilemma! Victoria and I quietly discussed what we should do. She said “Joel, don5t you think we should tell him, so maybe he could get his money back?”
“Well, we could, but I don’t think we should,1 said. “Even though we want to do that, we can’t rob him of his blessing. He’s planted a seed by doing something good for us. We don't want to pull his seed out of the ground and give it back. That would be doing him a disservice.

 

 Although we knew he needed that money, we also knew that when he planted that seed in the ground, God was going to multiply it back to him. We knew God would give him a greater harvest. So we accepted his generous gift and whispered a prayer that God would bless him abundantly

 

 Understand, sowing seed is not a replacement for tithing. In fact, it is usually when you give over and above the first 10 percent of your income that this principle kicks into high gear. The Bible says, “The tithe is the Lord's. And it is holy” That means the first tenth of your income doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to God and should be given to your local church. When you hold on to it, you’re really robbing from God. So if you are not sowing at all, the tithe is a good place to start!

 

 You may be thinking, Joel, I just can’t afford to tithe. No, the truth is, you can't afford to not tithe. First, it would be foolish to try to rob God; and second, you need to get some seed in the ground. If you will dare to take a step of faith and start honoring God in your finances, He’ll start increasing your supply in supernatural ways. God will take that 90 percent you have left over, and He’ll cause it to go further than the 100 percent with which you started. The Scripture says that when we tithe, God not only opens up the windows of heaven, but He will rebuke the devourer for your sake. That means He’ll keep the enemy off your money, off your crop, off your children, and away from your home. He’ll make sure you get promoted. He’ll cause you to get the best deals in life. Sometimes, He’ll keep you from sickness, accidents, and harm that might cause other unnecessary expenses. All kinds of blessings come your way when you honor God in the area of your finances.

 

You can’t rob God and expect Him to bless
you at the same time.

 

 On the other hand, you can’t rob God and expect Him to bless you at the same time. You must realize, God doesn’t need your money or your time or your talent. When God asks us to give, it’s not because He’s trying to get something from us.  No, it's because He’s trying to get us to put some seed in the ground so we can reap a harvest. God abides by the laws  He has established, and if you don't sow, you will
not reap. 

 It’s as simple as that. But if you are faithful and do what God tells you to do, God will honor the law of reaping and sowing. You may not have a lot to give, but God will bless you if you start where you are.
Don't wait until you have more; start now. That’s the way you will receive more from God. You sow some seed, and then 

 

 God will bless you with more. Then you can sow a little more seed, and on and on. That’s how you increase. But if you are not being faithful with what you have right now, how can God trust you with more?
 The Scripture is riot ambiguous about this matter. It says, “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. If you want to prosper in your finances, put God first. If you want to prosper in your business, put God first. When you honor God, God will always honor you. And it’s interesting, the only place in the Bible where God tells us to prove Him—which means to test Him, or check Him out—is in the area of our finances. If you will be faithful and show God that you’re trustworthy with what you have right now, there5s no limit to what God will do in your life.

 

CHAPTER 29
Sowing and Growing

 

 The Dead Sea is one of the most fascinating bodies of water on Earth. The water is so dense, due to the high mineral content, even a nonswimmer can stay afloat. A human being can actually sit down in the water and read a newspaper without sinking. Bus tours of the area stop long enough for skeptical or adventurous tourists to take a dip. Problem is, when you come out of the water, nobody wants to sit next to you! The water reeks with a wretched smell.

 

 Fed by Israel’s Jordan River, the Dead Sea has no outlet All the fresh water flowing into it becomes stagnant. While it is interesting to look at and fascinating to study, the water is undrinkable, polluted, and putrid.

 

 That is a good picture of a person who lives selfishly, who is a taker but not a giver. God did not create us to be a reservoir that only collects. He created us to be a river that’s constantly flowing. When we live selfishly always receiving, always taking but never giving, we become stagnant and polluted. Putting it bluntly, our lives will start to stink. We’ll go around with a sour attitude; we’ll be no fun to be around, always irritable and hard to get along with. And it’s all because nothing is flowing out of us. Yes, God wants to pour good things into your life, but if you want to live your best life now, you must learn to allow those good things to flow through you to others. As you do, your supply will be replenished and your life will maintain its freshness.

 

 Stop hoarding what God has given you and start sharing it with others. Share your time, your energy, your friendships, your love, and your resources. If God has given you joy, share it with somebody else. Make someone else happy; cheer up another person; be a friend to 
somebody If God has given you talent and the ability to make moneys don’t simply accumulate more for yourself; share those resources with others. Don’t allow yourself to become stagnant. You must keep your river flowing. That’s the way to truly prosper in life and be happy

 

If God has given you joy, share it with somebody else.

 

“Joel, I have a lot of difficult issues in my life right now. When I get out of all these problems, then I’ll go out and help somebody else.”
 You have it backward. Go help someone first, then God will begin to turn your situation around. Remember the fundamental principle: You must sow the seed first, then you will reap a harvest. If you want to get well, sow a seed by helping somebody else get well. If you want to be happy, help somebody else enjoy a little happiness. If you’re having financial difficulty, give some money to someone in need, help the poor, or sow a little extra in the church offering. You must plant some seed if you are hoping for a harvest!

 

 When you go through difficult times, because of the stress it’s easy to focus only on your needs, on what’s wrong in your life. But if you want the best stress relief of all, get your mind off yourself and go help somebody else. Something supernatural happens when we turn our attention away from our own needs to the needs of others. God’s supernatural power seems to be activated by unselfish gestures. When you have a problem, don’t concentrate on your need, think about what kind of seed you can sow to get you out of that problem.

 

Sow a Seed in Your Time of Need

 

 Some first-century Christians were struggling to survive in the Greek town of Corinth. The Bible says, “The people were in deep poverty and deep trouble.”1 What did they do in their time of need? Did they complain and pout? Did they say, “God, why do we have so much trouble coming against us?” Not at all. The Scripture records, “In the midst of their great trouble, they stayed full of joy and they gave generously to others.”2 Notice they sowed a seed in their time of need. They knew if they would help to meet other people’s needs, God would meet theirs.
 In your times of difficulty, do just what they did. Number one, stay full of  joy Number two, go out and sow a seed. Help someone else, and you will be helped.

 If you lost your job, don't sit around feeling sorry for yourself, go volunteer someplace. Sow a seed while you’re waiting for that next door of opportunity to open. If you are believing for a better car, instead of complaining about the one you have, sow a seed by giving somebody a ride. If you are believing for your business to be blessed, help somebody else’s business to grow. Do something to get some seed in the ground.
 I read about a woman who wanted to start a new business—a mobile pet grooming shop. She thought, I can’t really afford to advertise, but I need to groom some dogs if  I’m going to get this business going. What kind of seed can 1 sow to bring in some clients? She decided to go down to her local SPCA dog shelter and groom the dogs for free so they would be more likely to be adopted. She did that month after month, and her business began to grow. Today, she has more clients than she can handle. Her business is so blessed, her customers have to book appointments three to four months in advance!

 

 If you will sow an extraordinary seed, you will reap an extraordinary harvest I’m sure when that woman first showed up at the SPCA wanting to groom the abandoned animals, people must have thought her a bit odd, or that she was an obsessed pet lover, but she didn’t care. She knew she had to get some seed in the ground, so she was aggressive. She put some action behind her prayers. She didn’t merely pray, “God, please prosper my new business.She rose up in faith and sowed a seed in her time of need, and God supernaturally increased her.
You may say, “Joel, I sure wish God would do that for me.”
 He can, but the question is: What seed are you putting in the ground? Are you giving God anything to work with? If not, start planning and start planting!

 

 The Bible says, “Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for in the days ahead you yourself may need much help.”3 Notice, God is giving us a principle here that will cause us to have our needs supplied during those tough times that occasionally come. Give generously right now, because in the future you may need some help.
Picture it this way:

 When you give, you are storing up God’s goodness and His favor so in your time of need, 

you’ll have a great harvest out of which God can “draw” to meet your need. You may not have any pressing needs today 

 

 That’s great! But don’t let that stop you from giving. You need to prepare for the future. When you do have a need, God will be right there to help you out. Giving is similar to taking a preventive medicine. You are storing up God’s goodness.
One fellow said to me, “Joel, I’ve given and given, but I don't ever seem to reap a harvest. I'm always on the giving end, never on the receiving end.”
 “Even if you don’t see anything happening right now, don’t get discouraged," I told him. “Don’t quit giving. You’ve got to understand that you are storing up God’s goodness, and God has promised that your generous gifts will come back to you. One day when you need them the most, they will be there to help you out.”

 

 I mentioned earlier about my dad’s encounter with a young man who had been stranded at an airport in a foreign land. Daddy helped that young man by giving him some money to make his way back home. Daddy understood this principle of storing up God’s goodness, and he knew if he would help somebody’s child in their time of need, God would make sure that somebody would be there to help him and his children in a time of need.

 

 A few years later we were in India, traveling by car. It was late at night, and we had been traveling for a couple of hours on our way back to the hotel when our car broke down. We were stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Although it was one or two o5clock in the morning, a crowd quickly gathered. Before we knew it, we had about fifty or sixty people surrounding us and staring at us. It was a rather tense situation since American “tourists” in that section of India were not a common sight, nor a welcome one. Worse yet, we didn’t speak their language, so we were slightly nervous and concerned for our safety

 

 Suddenly, out of nowhere, we saw another car approaching, a large, luxury car, an especially unusual car for that part of India. We hadn’t seen another car the whole time we had been waiting. The driver spotted us along the side of the road and stopped. When he found out what was going on, he came over to us, and we were surprised that he spoke English. In a kind, gentle voice, he said, “Don’t be afraid. Fm going to take you where you need to go.”
We had never seen that man before, but we got in the car with him. He drove us all the way back to our hotel, a five-hour drive! When we arrived safely back at our hotel, we wanted to pay him for his time and trouble, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
 I couldn’t help but think about that young man my dad had rescued in the airport a few years earlier. Daddy had made an investment; he had stored up God5s goodness. Daddy had sowed all those seeds. Now his generosity came back to him when he needed it.

 

God is keeping a record of every
good deed you’ve ever done.

 

 God is keeping a record of every good deed you've ever done. He is keeping a record of every seed you've ever sown. You may think it went unnoticed, but God saw it. And in your time of need, He will make sure that somebody is there to help you. Your generous gifts will come back to you. God has seen every smile you5ve ever given to a hurting person. He’s observed every time you went out of the way to lend a helping hand. God has witnessed when you have given sacrificially, even giving money that perhaps you needed desperately for yourself or your family God is keeping those records. Some people will tell you that it doesn’t make any difference whether you give or not, or that it doesn’t do any good. But don't listen to those lies. God has promised that your generous gifts will come back to you.4 In your time of need, because of your generosity, God will move heaven and earth to make sure you are taken care of.

 

 One day I was thinking about all the seeds our church has sown down through the years. I don’t say it arrogantly, but the church has given an enormous amount o£ money to help hurting people. There's no telling how many lives we’ve touched. Beyond that, for nearly half a century Lakewood has been a lighthouse, not only to our own city but beaming a message of hope and encouragement to people all over the world.

 

 In June 2001, the Houston area was hammered by a tropical storm that resulted in devastating floodwaters covering much of the lower- lying parts of the city Lakewood Church was one of the few areas not underwater, and almost immediately, rescue workers began transporting people to the church as an emergency shelter. We had never
planned to house hundreds of people on our church property, nor were we set up to do so, but the need was there and the people were coming, so members of the church worked round the clock to accommodate the crowds of people who had been forced out of their homes by the rapidly rising floodwaters.

 

 A television network covering the flood did a “live” report from our parking lot, and during the course of the interview, the reporter asked a Lakewood staff person what we needed. “Food, clothing, blankets, and supplies,” the worker replied.
 Within hours, all sorts of supplies began pouring into the church from members of our own congregation, and others around the city as well as the nation. As a result, we were able to feed, house, clothe, and take care o£ thousands of temporarily displaced people in our community, I’ll never forget seeing the cars and trucks lined up for miles bringing supplies, food, blankets, and all kinds of things to the church to be distributed to the uprooted families. We finally had to ask people to stop bringing supplies. We didn't have any more room for them! The materials were piled all the way to the ceiling. For several weeks, our church's main job was to serve the flood victims in our community Later, we were able to help many of them rebuild their homes and get their lives back on track once again.

 

 The spirit of our church has always been to give. Is it any wonder, then, that God was there for us in our time of need? All of our gifts, all of our generosity, all those seeds that we had sown down through the years had been stored up. And when we needed it the most, God just reached over and out of our own harvest. He met our needs.

 

 When God reaches into your harvest, will there be anything there? Are you sowing any seeds of kindness? Are you keeping God first in your finances? Are you living to give, or are you living to get?
 A skeptic once said to me, “Joel, it sounds to me like you’re saying that if I don’t give, and if I don’t ever do any good deeds, then God won5t ever meet my needs.”

 

 “No, you must understand. God’s love is unconditional and His grace is unmerited favor,551 replied. “God gives us all many things that we don’t deserve, and could not possibly earn, no matter how many good deeds we do. But I am saying that our gifts, our acts of kindness, get God’s attention in a special way”

 

God Sees Your Gifts

 

 In the Bible, there’s a story about a Roman army captain named Cornelius. The Bible says, “He was a good man. He prayed often and he gave much to the poor.” One translation (The Living Bible) says, “He was a generous giver.” Cornelius and his family became the first recorded Gentile household to receive the good news and to experience salvation after the resurrection of Jesus.

 

 Why was he chosen? Why did God pick him for such an honor? The Scripture tells us Cornelius saw an angel in a vision who said to him: uYour prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.’’6 The Living Bible says, uYour prayers and charities have not gone unnoticed by God!” Friend, don’t let anybody convince you that it doesn't make a difference to give. The reason Cornelius was chosen was because of his giving spirit.

 

 In the same way, when we give, it gets God’s attention. I'm not suggesting that we can buy miracles. I’m not saying you have to pay God to meet your needs, but I am saying God sees your gifts. He sees your acts of kindness. Every time you help somebody God sees. And as with Cornelius, it pleases God when you give, and He will pour out His favor in a new way in your life.

 

 In your time of need, put some action behind your prayers. If you are believing for a promotion at work, don’t just say, “God, I'm counting on You. God, I know You'll do it.” Sow some seed. Do more than pray Why don't you do as Cornelius and go out and feed the poor, or do something to get that seed in the ground? Your gifts will go up as a memorial before God.
 Maybe today you are believing for your marriage to be restored or some other relationship to be improved. Perhaps you are hoping to buy a new home or to get out of debt. Sow a special seed that relates to your specific need. We can’t buy God’s goodness, but like Cornelius, we can exercise our faith through our giving.

 

 Every time God puts a bigger dream in Victoria’s and my hearts, every time He enlarges our vision, after we pray about it, we sow a seed in faith. We may just sow a seed by giving our time to some project, or maybe we’ll sow a special offering, maybe we511 just bless another person in a special way. But we do something to put some faith behind our prayers.
 Victoria and I had been married a few years when we decided that we wanted to sell our townhome and buy a house. We put the townhome on the market for six or eight months, but we never had a serious offer. Hardly anybody looked at it, even though we were praying regularly, asking God to help us sell it.

 

 We really wanted the other house, but we couldn5t afford it until we sold our townhome. Finally, we decided we needed to do more than pray We needed to sow a special seed in faith, believing for that townhome to sell.
 At the time, we were making double mortgage payments on the townhome, in an attempt to pay the principal down sooner. We decided to make the one required payment, and we'd sow the second part of that money as a seed, believing for God's favor. We did that faithfully for several months, believing for the townhome to sell. After about the fourth month, we got a call from our Realtor. She said, “I have good news! Fve got a contract for your house.”
 “That’s great,” I said. “How much is it for?”
 She said, “Let me just come by your house and talk to you about it.”
 My heart sank. Usually when the Realtor wants to talk to the seller about a received offer, that means the offered price is low. But when she arrived at our home, we were pleasantly surprised that the contract was for the full price we were asking for our townhome. We thought we5d have to discount it thousands o£ dollars. But I believe, because we sowed a seed in faith, God not only brought us a buyer, but He did more than we could ask or think. He gave us even more than we were hoping for!
That’s just how our God operates.
 The Scripture says, “When we give, God is able to make it all up to us by giving us everything we need and more so that there will not only be enough for our needs, but we will have plenty left over so that we can give joyfully to others.,，God has promised us that when we give, He will give back to us, then add some more.
 Maybe you are in a situation similar to the one Victoria and I were in, where you are praying and believing and hoping for something to change, but thus far, nothing has happened. Perhaps you need to sow a special seed. Sow your time. Sow a special offering. Do something out of the ordinary as an expression of your faith. If you will do that,
your gift will go up as Cornelius’s gifts did, as a memorial before God. He511 begin to pour out His favor in a new way

 

Do something out of the ordinary
as an expression of your faith.

 

 Friend, if you want to live your best life now, don’t hoard what God has given you. Learn to sow it in faith. Remember, when you give, you are preparing the way for God to meet your needs now and in the future. When you are generous to others, God will always be generous with you.