Sourdough Bread
If you don’t give it away, it dies. A friend gave a neighbor a loaf of sourdough bread. The neighbor asked, “Did you keep enough for your family?” The friend replied, “No. But I had to make the bread anyway. The ‘mix’ needed refreshing. If you don’t take some out and bake it, and add new yeast and milk and flour, it dies. So I had to bake a loaf and give it away and replenish the mix, or it would go bad.”
If you don’t give it away, it “goes bad” or dies. What a concept! It’s very Biblical. Remember the Hebrew travelers in the wilderness, and the manna? If they took more than they could use, it went bad. The Scripture says, “It bred worms and became foul.”
Remember the rich man in the parable by Jesus? He had reaped his harvest and had far more than he could use. But instead of sharing from his bounty, he built bigger barns and stored it all up for himself. And Jesus said the man condemned himself by his unwillingness to be generous to those in need.
The Bible never condemns prosperity. But it consistently condemns selfishness, greed and self-indulgence.
Regarding generosity, someone has said that it isn’t about how much we give away. It’s about how much we keep for ourselves. Giving is about our faith and trust that there will be more. Giving is about trusting God to keep providing for our needs.