“Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely…” Ps.112.5 NIV
There is a notable difference between being frugal and being a tightwad. If someone tells us that we are frugal we generally take it as a complement. But it is almost always an insult, if someone calls you a tightwad. The difference between these two sorts is often not so much in their commitment to thrift or in their avoidance of waste, as it is, in the reason for it. The tightwad practices thrift to hoard, but the frugal to hand out. The tightwad gathers with one hand and is tightfisted with the other. But we often find that the frugal gathers with one hand so he may give with the other.
It is never good to be wasteful, and hoarding wealth is certainly that. When a person is a tightwad with one hand and tightfisted with the other they are wasting the resources entrusted to them. When a person holds with loose hands all that God entrusts He is not being wasteful but generous and generosity always leads to greater wealth. This of course does not mean that sacrifice is not required. Often it is, but we are assured that it is always a good thing to live on less in order to give more. The one who lends to the poor lends to God and God tends to keep His books somewhat different than most. He always returns more to us than we have given. We will never give out more than God is willing to give in return. 7/24/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
