How many people have to die before you will be "generous"?

A generous man will prosper; 
 he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25

Australia is a country that is known for lending a helping hand.  The bush fires, floods, tsunami, red shield appeal are all examples where we reach into our pockets to help others who are doing it tough.  But do we limit generosity to giving money once or twice a year? What about our daily interactions with those around us?

I have always enjoyed being able to give to people financially especially when there in no expectation and it comes as a great surprise to the receiver.  The point of the gift is to bless the person in need but as this proverb suggests, the person giving the gift often finds the real blessing is in the giving not the receiving.

Recently I have been reminded that generosity stretches beyond just finances, though this is often an important place to start.  The ability to give someone your time and attention may be the gift they really need.  This then turns around each of our daily interactions from the subconscious what can I get out of this person  to the pretence of how can I brighten this persons day. Imagine if we were able to leave every conversation having made that persons day just a little bit better.  It really is a challenge sometimes especially when you can tend to be task focused like me.

Generosity; to give without the expectation of anything in return.  Be generous in finance and love.  You may find that a little self sacrifice brings the greatest returns in life. 

How to get rich quick...or not

A stingy man is eager to get rich 
 and is unaware that poverty awaits him.
Proverbs 28:22

Do you want to be rich?  It's not an unreasonable desire, but it's your motives and actions that will determine your true success in the long run.

Money has the potential to change lives, for good and for bad.  The ability to save and sacrifice is essential in accumulating long lasting wealth.  The trap is not to become stingy and forget that generosity is one of the greatest gifts that money has to offer.  You have to ask yourself why you want to be rich in the first place?

The man who is consumed with the accumulation of money for selfish purposes will find himself all alone, having burnt all his bridges, leaving a trail of broken relationships in his wake.  Wealth can disappear and leave you in poverty before you know what hit you.  Just ask all the people who won the lotto only to end up in a worse position than when they started.

Poverty can be both financial and emotional, guard your heart and never let money or its pursuit consume you.

A man's wealth is measured not by the amount of money he accumulates, but by his generosity.