Those who give... will lack nothing

~Tuesday Thoughts~ 

"Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." Proverbs 28:27 (NIV)

That is SO blunt. Fellow Christians, why do we so rarely do this? Are we waiting until we'll richer and can give more? Are we scared that we'd give too little for it to really count? Are we tired of the constant reminders and just want to shut it out and not hear the pleas? Are we thinking of all those other people who are much more qualified then we are?

The widow gave two small coins (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4) and yet Jesus said she gave more than those who were giving away a bunch. Giving is NOT OPTIONAL; it's not a maybe-next-time-when-I-have-more thing. Giving is measured by what we have, not by what we don't have.

This doesn't mean we have to live on sandwiches and go give everything away (although we can!). It's about putting OTHERS in front of your own desires.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

How about you? Do you give to the poor? What do you think of these verse? What other verses do you know on giving?