Scattering Kindness: What Proverbs 11 Teaches Us About Generosity

Read the blog post for this episode:  Scattering Kindness: What Proverbs 11 Teaches Us About Generosity

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back and Family Updates
• 4:14 Introduction to Proverbs 11
• 9:21 Scattering Seeds vs Hoarding
• 11:58 Sharing Experience with a Struggling Author
• 15:40 Kingdom Paradox: Give and Receive
• 20:00 Seeking Good and Attracting Positivity
• 22:54 Prayer and Final Encouragement

Transcript

Audrey: 1:13

Hello and welcome back to Grace For my Home. I'm Audrey McCracken and I'm so glad to be back with you again this week. I hope that you're doing well. We are doing great. My oldest son turned 19 yesterday and he had his first college exam. So he did not want to celebrate, he wanted to study and get ready for that. So this weekend we're going to do something with him. When they were little I made a big deal out of birthdays, and now everybody's so busy that it kind of came and went with not a lot of fanfare, except for telling him happy birthday and letting him know we hadn't forgotten. But this weekend we'll celebrate. We'll go do something that he wants to do, and we told him he could bring a friend or two along, and so we will celebrate. But for a minute yesterday I thought I'm a bad mom and then I thought no, life is changing. This is just how it is. So I hope that you're doing well. We're doing great. You know we're into football now it's football season and my middle son is really into football and so every Friday night that's where we are, and he has actually gotten an invitation to a college this week to go and tour their facility because he wants to play on the college level, and so he's been out there, you know, just talking to people and talking to coaches and that kind of thing. So he's got his first college visit. So we'll see, he's actually had a few offers and some of them are far away, and so this college that we're going to see in the next few weeks is close to home and close, I mean like two and a half hours away, which is awesome. So we're praying about that and my husband and I are going to go down with him and check out the college and just see, you know, see what the Lord does.

Audrey: 3:01

This week. I want to talk with you. I want to share a short message with you about Proverbs 11. I have been studying Proverbs 11 this week. I've been reading through it. I'm not going to have time today to go into the whole Proverbs 11, but it's a good read. If you have a moment this week and are looking for something in the Bible, I know how that feels. Sometimes it's like where do I go, lord? Try Proverbs 11.

Audrey: 3:25

The whole proverb, the whole chapter, is about the contrast between the upright and the wicked and how one prospers and the other doesn't, and I think it's a wonderful reminder that what we do every day matters. How we live matters, the hidden things that we don't think anybody sees and maybe they don't see, but it still matters. And everything in the kingdom is different. It's different than the system of the world, and when we are born again, when we become followers of Christ, we're born into a kingdom, into a new kingdom that our eyes don't see but that we see. We see with spiritual eyes. And Jesus is the king of that kingdom. He's our Lord and he teaches us the ways of the kingdom. And there's so much wisdom in the book of Proverbs. You know, the book of Proverbs is one of the books of wisdom in the Bible and there's so much wisdom. For us today it seems like an ancient book, but you know, times change but people don't change and human nature has been the same since the creation of man.

Audrey: 4:34

I encourage you this week to take a look at Proverbs 11 and see what God will speak to you through it. But I want to concentrate on verses 24 and 27, and I'll read them to you. I'm going to read out of the New American Standard Version, but starting in verse 24 of Proverbs 11, this is what it says. It says this is what it says. It says waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse but blessings will be on the head of him who sells it. He who diligently seeks good seeks favor. But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

Audrey: 5:30

And what I want to share with you this week is what you do matters. Where you're scattering, where you're sowing, the way, the intention, the heart behind what you do each day matters, and we have, whether you feel like it or not, you have something to give and the method that you use to give that out, the heart that you use to distribute that. It determines what comes back to you. And I love this because you know all human nature is that we're going to. You know we're going to hoard and we're going to gather to ourselves enough so that in hard times you know we're taken care of, we've got enough. And there's nothing wrong with saving. There's nothing wrong with putting away things for times when you're going to need it. That's not what this verse is talking about. What it's talking about is not giving, is having that attitude that it's mine, mine, mine and I'm going to keep everything to myself and then I'll have when there's hard times, even when others don't.

Audrey: 6:38

And I love what he's saying here, when he says scatter, because that makes me think of the man. You know, there's a famous, there's a famous painting of the sower and he takes the seed out of his pocket, you know, out of his big bag that he has strapped across his back, and he scatters that seed, you know. And he goes into a field and he scatters that seed. And he goes into a field and he scatters that seed. And there's an art to that. There's an art of not having too much and not having too little and throwing it at just the right amount and just the right thickness around you. And so this man, he goes out and he's not just scattering to be scattering, but he's sowing seed. And that can be us, you know, that can be us, as we take from what God has given us and we go out and we sow it, we share it, we're not throwing it, we're not throwing it away, we're giving it and it's not a waste, because it will bring forth a harvest in the lives of others and in our lives. And that's such a different mentality than hoarding.

Audrey: 7:45

This week something happened to me in the shop and it reminded me as I was reading this. It was so funny how God lines that up right. You know, you read it, and then you go and live and you see it and it's like if I hadn't read it. I don't know if I would have recognized that this was what I read or that God is speaking to me in this situation. But I recently released my second book. It's called Seek First 31 Quiet Moments with Jesus, and I had a book signing last Saturday at my shop. It was a huge blessing. I had so many people come out to support me and they purchased books and I got a chance to talk with them and share my story and why I wrote the book and hear their stories. That was probably my favorite part is how God has either used my book or other devotions and things like that to encourage them and to help them, you know, to keep serving Jesus, to grow in their faith.

Audrey: 8:42

Well, later in the week I was working at the shop and a lady came in, had never met before and she saw my books at the counter and she said did you write these? And I said, yes, yes, I did. Those are my two books. And she said well, I need to talk with you. And she had something in her hand and she said do you have a second? And I did. It wasn't that busy in the shop and there were two other people there besides me, so I went around the counter and I started talking to her.

Audrey: 9:10

Well, in her hand she had a book and she had been trying to publish this book, trying to make this book available, and it was a book of poems that she had written, and she was frustrated because she was having a hard time, she was trying to get it published, and so she just wanted to pick my brain. She just wanted to ask me how did you do this? And a friend of a friend had told her about me, and so she came and found me on her day off of work and I sat down with her and I got out my laptop and you know, and I shared some things with her that I had done and some mistakes I had made in the process, because I published my books myself. I did them through Kindle, kdp, self-publishing, and she had tried that, but she just kept hitting roadblocks, and so I was able to share with her some of the things that I had found out and some of the things I'd researched. And you know, I gave her my number and I gave her a couple of websites to go to and and I told her you know, if you need help, just give me a call, I'd be glad to help.

Audrey: 10:13

And she looked at me and she said you just don't know how much this means. She said I have, you know, I found people that would that. Told me that you know they would charge me to do this, but I can't find anybody that would help me for free. And guys, I want you to understand, I didn't teach a class. It wasn't that, it was not much. I mean, it was like 15 minutes of this is what I did, but it meant so much to her. I did, but it meant so much to her. And there's definitely nothing wrong with teaching a class and teaching and charging somebody to teach them how to write a book. I mean there's, I've been thinking about taking one myself, but there she was so blessed that somebody took the time just to show her something. You know, something she didn't know, and I know very little, so it was kind of like the blind leading the blind. I just know enough that I got my books published and she wanted help doing the same.

Audrey: 11:05

And then, you know, I had already read this scripture and then when I came back to it, it looked different and it was like the Lord saying Audrey, give, give, give what you've been given. You know what you've learned, what you've experienced, what God has taught you? Don't hoard it. People need it and you know, maybe maybe not the people around you, you know, that's why I started my podcast because God had done so much in me in raising my children, like I was a different person from before kids to after kids, and when my kids started growing up and they didn't need me as much, I so wanted to help other mothers because I knew God had done something in me and I wish I had known so many things before kids. But you don't, you just can't. And so one of the reasons I started the podcast was I wanted to encourage those who were on that path, but there was nobody in my immediate church group, my immediate friends, those who were near me, that needed it. They either had grown kids or kids my age and they'd kind of gotten in their own rhythm and nobody really seemed to need what I knew God had put inside of me, and so I thought, you know what? I will start a podcast and I will put it out there for whoever does. And so that's how Grace for my Home started, and that is applicable to so many areas in life.

Audrey: 12:32

God has put something in you Get it out. You know, it doesn't have to look like a podcast, it doesn't have to look like a book. It might just be you sitting down with someone who's struggling and sharing your story, like I was able to do with this young lady this week. When I read this proverb this week. I wanted so much to share that with you.

Audrey: 12:57

You know, don't be one who holds things close and there's like a delight, like oh, I've got all this and nobody else does. Don't be that person. Be the one who scatters and it will come back to you. You know, like it says here in verse 25, the generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be. I know what it's like to be thirsty and you are so thankful for those who quench your thirst. If you will be that for someone else, if you will give, then when you are in need, someone else will give to you and they won't know you are in need, someone else will give to you, and they won't know. You know God will send them at the right time because he is the one who provides in the right season. He knows what season we're in and he knows what we need. And whatever you make happen for someone else, god will make happen for you.

Audrey: 13:53

That's the way the kingdom works. It doesn't seem right. You know, there's a paradox in the kingdom. So many things that we think in our minds are not necessarily the way the kingdom works. You know, often think about the servant leader. You know, jesus even told his disciples in this world. You know, the leader is not the leader is the one who tells everybody what to do. You know, the leader is the one who is in charge, large and in charge. But it's not going to be so in my kingdom. Don't you love my paraphrase? I'm used to teaching kids, but Jesus said not so in my kingdom. In my kingdom, the greatest person is the servant, and so we are servant leaders. And that's different than the world system where they see the servant as less, than In God's kingdom. The servant is the greatest, and so it is.

Audrey: 14:47

With sowing and reaping. You know, to sow you have to take good seed, you have to take a good harvest and you have to put it back in the ground. You have to give it away. You have to throw it out there by faith and just believe that a harvest will come. And when we have things that God's given us, sometimes we have to get those things out. We have to share them so that more harvest will come.

Audrey: 15:12

And we may not directly understand how God does that. We may not understand exactly how God does that. You know, we may not understand exactly how God does that, but he promises to make it happen. You know, whatever we will make happen for someone else, he in turn will make happen for us. You know, treat people the way you want to be treated Sow and you will reap. Give and it will be given back to you. Press down, shaken together and running over, he will cause men to give into you. And you know, guys, it's not about name and incline, okay, it's not that.

Audrey: 15:45

I'm not talking about a prosperity gospel. I'm talking about a principle that a generous person will be taken care of, that you are not going to go broke by being generous. God will make sure that you are taken care of when you live on kingdom principles. And it's a good reminder because sometimes, especially when you get to my age and you start thinking about retirement, and what do I have, and how am I going to do this? It's really easy to become that person that wants to hoard. But God is saying to me in this season don't be that person. Be the giver, be the sower, be the scatterer, be the one who shares these things that I've given you, because there's somebody out there that it's fresh water for them. For you it might be old hat, you know, it might be like well, everybody knows that Everybody doesn't, and they may not hear my voice. Do you know? There are certain people that we can minister to or we can encourage, and there's certain people we can't. You know there are people that they just don't receive from me. You know my voice, the way I am. You know they just can't receive from me, but they may be able to receive from you. But they may be able to receive from you and maybe, when I'm sharing with you, god will bless you and then you can bless others with that. And that's how the kingdom works. We give and we receive.

Audrey: 17:10

And if you read on in Proverbs, it says in verse 26, he who withholds grain, the people will curse him. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. And what it's talking about is famine and times of famine when there's a great need. If we don't give, then people will suffer. But when we do, when we decide to sell what we have, when we decide to let go of what we have and make it available to other people, then there's a blessing. There's a blessing that comes upon us. And last but not least, in verse 27, it says "he who diligently seeks good" seeks favor. But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

Audrey: 18:02

Do you know, we get what we expect or what we're looking for. If we're always looking for the bad in people, we won't be disappointed, because there's always enough bad in there to find right. We've all got issues. But if we are looking for the good in people and we are looking for good things, then we have a tendency to find them, because we find whatever we look for. You know. That's why God says think on the good things, think on the good things, and then you start to see the good things that are around you. But if we're always thinking about the negative and we're always thinking about the bad things, then those things seem to multiply. It's not that they really multiply, it's just that we're more aware of them because we're tuned into them. And so whatever we're seeking, whatever we're pouring ourself into, we're going to get more of that. And so let's make sure it's the good things, let's make sure that we are thinking about the good things and we're sowing the good things, like joy and peace and love and forgiveness and hope. Let's make sure that those are the things where our mind is tuned in so that we can receive more of those things and we can be more aware of God's blessings in our lives.

Audrey: 19:16

And, guys, this is so important. You know it's so easy to get stuck on the negativity train. It's so easy. So many people are on it and they want us on it with them because it makes them feel better. Misery loves company, and this week I have had to decide. I'm not going to be on the negativity train, I think, even if I have to go along, I think I'm going to get on the positive train.

Audrey: 19:39

I think I'm going to get on the train where I'm thankful for what I've been given, even if it's not everything I wanted it to be or everything I hoped it would be. I'm thankful for what God has given me and as I become thankful, as I decide to purposely be thankful for what God has given me, then I'm amazed at how much I've been given, because I'm more aware of it and I want to share that. I want to be the kind of person that people want to be around, because when they're around me, I'm scattering good things, I'm scattering encouragement, I'm scattering joy, I'm scattering thankfulness, and that's attractive. And I want people to want to be around me because when they're around me, they get a drink, they get filled up and they get encouraged, and then they have enough to go out there, encourage their families and people that live in their home and their friends, and that's a good testimony for Jesus. You know, if we are the kind of people that people want to be around, what better testimony.

Audrey: 20:42

You know, there's just something about her. I like being around her. When I'm around her, I feel encouraged, or, you know, she makes me feel like I can do this. She doesn't make me feel stupid or inadequate or that she's better than me, and that makes us a wonderful testimony of Jesus, because I believe that's what he's like.

Audrey: 21:00

You know, jesus has always encouraged me. He has never condemned me. He has convicted me. He has reminded me that this may not be the path you want to go down, audrey, but he always does it in such a way that he makes me want to do well. When somebody believes in you, you want to please them, and that's how Jesus has always been for me. He's always made me want to do well. You know, not just I better do well or I'm going to get punished.

Audrey: 21:29

There's something in Jesus that makes you want to love him and please him, and I want people to see that in me, and I believe you want that too, and so I hope this has been encouraging for you today. I know it's been short, but it doesn't have to be long to be good, and I'd like to pray with you before we go. Father, I thank you for these lovely ladies who are listening today. I pray God for hope in their heart. I pray that hope would swell up and they would see possibilities instead of problems, and, lord, that you would help them to take whatever's in their hand, whatever you've blessed them with, and scatter it to other people and to be a blessing, and I pray that that blessing would come back to them a hundredfold In Jesus' precious name. Thank you, lord, amen.