Giving Freely versus Suffering Want

This month’s newsletter is from April 2018, but we see the principles as timely.

There’s a story about a rich man whose land produced an abundant harvest. He was posed with a dilemma as he already had more than enough, but he didn’t have a place to store these additional crops. His solution was to tear down his existing barns and build bigger ones. He even imagined what he’d say to himself once done with this work: “Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!”

So how do think this story ends?

“God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods – who gets it?’ That’s what happens when you feel your barn with Self and not with God.”

If you’re a Christian, this story may be familiar as it’s found in Jesus’ parable in Luke 12:16-21. If not a Christian, you may wonder what does this story have to do with you? A lot, I’d say.

We’re often asked at Rivertree, “What do y’all (or “you all” for my northerners) actually help people do?” We may answer that we help plan for their retirement. Isn’t that contradictory to the story above? It could be if we left out some essential pieces of the full process.

One of these “essential pieces” is us asking, “When you retire, what are you planning to do with your time?” A myth is the joy of the “couch potato retirement.” Now there’s nothing wrong with relaxing more and catching up on some shows. But is that your full-time plan?

I’ve read a book about those who bought into this plan. Their main purpose became themselves. Sound familiar? (Reference paragraph 1). What does the book say happens to these folks? They die sooner than statistically expected. Why is that? They lost purpose. Is there a better way to “retire,” you might ask? We’d say so. Insert “generous living.”

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.”  (Proverbs 11:24)

Listen to Tim Keller’s reflection on this verse:

“The more you scatter your wealth, the more you gather it, and the more you try to keep it for yourself, the more it dissipates. How could that be? Think of farmers. The more they scatter seed, the more they will reap. And keep in mind that the seed comes back in better form, as harvest you can eat and sell. In the same way, spiritually wise people realize their money is seed, and the only way for them to turn it into real riches is by giving it away in remarkable proportions (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:6).

This is not a promise that the more you give away, the more money you will make. Rather the more you give away wisely to ministries and programs that help people spiritually and physically, the more your money becomes the real wealth of changed lives in others and of spiritual health in yourself. And you will be walking in footsteps of the one who was literally broken and scattered so he could gather us to himself.”

See the difference in self-living vs. generous living? It’s suffering want vs. gaining more. That “more” isn’t money. It’s joy.

There’s a quote from Randy Alcorn that has stuck with me: “The only antidote to greed is giving.” When we are tempted to clinch our fists around money (or build bigger barns), give it away. This breaks greed’s power, whether you’re a Christian or non-Christian.

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