What are you doing today to refresh someone? What does it mean to refresh them? I suppose it means something different depending on who you are blessing. A busy mom would love help with getting kids to and from activities or the laundry from last week folded and put away. A widower would be refreshed by a home-cooked meal. An athlete by someone cheering them on. A store owner by someone bringing in a crowd of customers eager to buy. A patient in a hospital bed by a visitor coming to spend time with them.
Can you think of a way you can make a difference for someone today? Verse 25 says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” We should be looking for ways to be generous with our time to help others. What a promise! If we refresh others, we will be refreshed!
The saying that comes to mind, “what goes around comes around.” That seems to apply here doesn’t it? Or the other saying, “as you sow, so shall you reap.” I’m not sure this “karma” example is what Solomon had in mind. When we are generous, we tend to attract other people who simply want to be generous in return.
It used to be, and maybe it still is for some people, that when you invited someone to your home for a meal, it was then their obligation to invite you back to their house. Same with gift giving. If someone gave you a gift, it was expected you would return the favor and give a gift to them. When we act generously, are we expecting something in return?
I know that in our business, we have been told by our mentors to GIVE, GIVE, GIVE and then give some more. In other words, we have been taught to over deliver. The intention is to create trust and good will. People are more likely to do business with people who are givers rather than those who are only eager to take your money.
Another image that comes to mind as I reflect on this verse is the love bucket. If you’re not familiar, it’s the accounting system for relationships. If I do something kind and thoughtful for you, I am putting a deposit into your love bucket. If I do or say something that is not helpful but instead hurtful, this is a withdrawal from the love bucket. We want to make sure we are filling other people’s buckets rather than emptying them out. Having an empty love bucket is lonely, painful, and discouraging.
What is the status of your love bucket? Have you been good at depositing into other people’s love buckets this week?
Let’s pray … Lord, you are the perfect example of being a giver. You gave your only Son for a world who didn’t appreciate him. You gave up your life for us because of your great love for us. Help me to be a better giver. I want to over deliver and be a blessing to those around me. Help me not expect that I will receive something in return. Simply create in me a heart of giving and generosity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
