The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:25.
God wants His people to be like Him – and that requires that we take a serious look at what it means to be generous. The Lord Himself is extremely generous toward Mankind.
Again, Solomon extols the virtue of generosity. This echoes principles taught by Jesus (Luke 6:38) and Paul (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). It pleases God when we lovingly serve others, including with material resources and care (Matthew 5:16; John 13:34–35; 1 John 3:17–18). Spiritually, we are guaranteed to see some benefit from doing good for others (Matthew 10:42). In life, it’s usually the case that generous people get help and support from others during hard times, unlike the greedy who are often ignored. The expected result of generous, loving kindness to others is reciprocal love and care.
Business-minded people can learn from this verse to be generous with their employees, and to give generously to the Lord’s work. While there are no guarantees (Psalm 73:1–3), such a business sets itself up to prosper. Employees will appreciate their owner’s generosity and consequently their productivity will increase. They will be inclined to stay longer and provide the business with the experience and knowledge gained over time. Customers often react positively to businesses they see as kind or generous.
A congregation, too, is blessed by giving generously to the needy. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:10–11: “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” The stingy person or congregation cannot blame God for a lack of results. God does not need much to do great things, but He expects us to make available all we have (John 6:1–14), rather than hold back.