We love a windfall.
When someone wins the lottery or a big bet it makes national news.
Resultantly, we daydream about experiencing those same results. Something about winning something for almost nothing entices us. However, the majority of us fail to take a critical step: the purchase of a ticket.
For we love the idea of the outcome, but wisely choose not to risk our money on a gamble. The risk / reward just doesn’t balance out for us. And that’s probably the right answer given the odds.
However, we can errantly carry this perspective over to other investments that have a much different risk profile. Investments that extend to both finances and people. For everyday we have the option to invest in those around us or not. To bless others with our time and energy, or avoid them. Unsurprisingly, our choices in these matters have significant impacts on our lives.
“Remember: a stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.”
We can all agree that output is a reflection of input. That we can’t put nothing in and expect something on the backend. Yet, we sit around waiting and praying for blessings, never putting anything in play. We want people to love and appreciate us, but we don’t want to ‘waste’ a bunch of time on them if it isn’t to our immediate benefit.
The message of this verse is clear: we need to be making contributions to expect anything to come back to us. Generosity begets generosity. We aren't gambling when we invest in the lives of those around us, but making meaningful contributions that benefit those in their orbit, and in turn ourselves.
Who have you poured into lately? Is it only yourself? Perhaps it is time to expand your influence.