Biblical Financial Principle #16 - Be Generous To Those In Need

Be generous to the poor, needy and disadvantaged:

God's Word is very clear in stating that we should be generous and kind to those who are disadvantaged. There are many verses on this subject:

Proverbs 3:28 - "Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"-- when you now have it with you." Proverbs 11:24-25 - "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

God loves each one of us and takes our needs very personally. If we turn our back on the needy we are, in effect, turning our back on God.

Proverbs 14:31 - "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Psalm 41:1 - "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble." Psalm 37:21b - "…the righteous give generously."

We should include systematic giving for the assistance of the needy in our financial planning. Lev. 23:22 - "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God."

Paul described his own actions in the area of generosity when he spoke to the elders from Ephesus. "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts. 20:35)

This may be a hard concept to accept but in God's economy we are not expected to do His will in our own strength. We will desire to be generous based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have a relationship with the Lord? Click Here to discover "The Life Changing Message Of Jesus."