For some people, the topic of generosity is a touchy subject.
Many times, their thinking is, “I’ve worked hard for my money; I’m not just going to simply give it away.”
While this kind of thinking may be understandable in some cases, it also signals a deeper issue — selfishness.
People often have no desire to share what they have, even when others might be in dire need. These folks are convinced their generosity might be squandered in needless, useless or harmful ways.
But stop to imagine for a moment if the shoe were on the other foot. What if, for some reason, you wound up in dire need and depended on the kindness and generosity of others?
A crowd of 5,000 people had gathered to hear Jesus teach. Because of the late hour, the people needed to eat a meal. But the disciples did not have enough money or food to feed them all.
The disciples located a small boy who had five loaves and two fish.
And that was all it took.
After Jesus gave thanks to God for the seemingly small offering, the food was distributed. Those 5,000-plus men, women and children ate their fill. When leftovers were gathered, there was enough to fill 12 baskets.
There are two ways of looking at this miracle. The first is the traditional way most people look at it. Jesus received the offering from the small boy, and as the food was distributed, it miraculously multiplied, never running out until all were fed and satisfied. God’s generosity overflowed.
The second way this miracle can be seen is that people in the crowd saw the generosity of that small boy who gave everything he had to Jesus. Then those who actually had food with them were moved to share what they had with others around them.
They may have thought, “If a little boy can do this, so can I.” And because of their generosity, there was more than enough to go around.
Either way this event is viewed, there's a miracle. One is God's supernatural intervention to multiply meager offerings into something greater. The other is God's supernatural intervention to change people’s hearts from self-interest to generosity.
Your generosity will return to you many times over. Don’t be afraid to share what you have, because you cannot out-give God.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Your generosity will return to you