The Laws of Generosity and Meanness in Life

Today's "Living Abundantly" discusses how one can live well. Observing those who live well, you will discern a pattern: there are two types of people, the generous and the mean-spirited. Those who can take a loss and bear responsibility are generous; those who cannot take a loss and shirk responsibility are mean-spirited. Few misers live well, but wanting to be generous does not mean acting recklessly. One must discern when to be generous and when not to be.

The Mean-Spirited Do Not Live Well

When I was in university, everyone lived in dormitory buildings with many people. Some dormitories had harmonious interpersonal relationships, while others were tense. Beijing winters are very cold, below freezing, and there was no hot water. We had to carry thermoses to fetch water, a five-minute walk. After fetching it, we would leave it and bring it back after self-study for washing. Some people only carried one for themselves, some carried two for a close friend, and some carried four. The students who carried only one often found their water gone, and their classmates liked to prank them. This is an example of a mean-spirited person. As the saying goes, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree." Mean-spirited people do not live well! Being easily angered is also a form of meanness; getting upset over trivial matters.

We have people of different ages among us. Meanness is a disadvantage, so do not be mean-spirited. But if you continue to suffer losses, then so be it. Everyone has their own standards for judging things; the benevolent see benevolence, and the wise see wisdom. Generous people are prone to suffering losses, but they look at the long term, while mean-spirited people look at immediate gains.

The Singapore Management University has students who often spontaneously organize research projects. Some misers fuss around, and no one wants them. Some people are not very capable but are willing to contribute money and effort, and everyone likes to involve them in their work. Relationships between people have value. I do not like taking advantage of others; I value interpersonal relationships, which have greatly helped me. Money and relationships are incomparable. Regardless of age, one must learn to discern. It is not that those people suffer losses, but their "calculations" are different. Therefore, I encourage everyone to discern. That miser from our school days will certainly not live well past fifty.

Generosity or Meanness is Influenced by Region

Some regions have different cultures and value systems. Some time ago, I ministered to a brother whose people were very stingy. This brother said that your people are very generous and forthright, which I readily acknowledged.

Recently, I ministered to someone who stayed with me for a long time and was very stingy. Her good friend was very generous, and she owed her hundreds of thousands that she had not repaid. She even took a course on charity and said she wanted to do charity! I said, "Repay people first before doing charity." Then her response was interesting: "Is it that I can't afford to repay or what?" Her good friend said, "Then repay me." She replied, "Do you lack this money or what?" Whether mean or generous, do not ruin your brand. Each of us is a brand, building good and stable relationships with others. I have previously spoken about "stability." Just as an aircraft must have stability, people are not only stingy with money but also with face and relationships.

Later, I received an older sister, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine practitioner with a high monthly salary, but she was very poor despite her age. I paid for her food, drink, and accommodation. You will find that inherent meanness is the source of poverty. A person's character determines their problems, and the older one gets, the harder it is to change.

It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive

The Choice Between Dedication and Blessing

Through this observation, we find that mean-spirited people do not live well. We can see this in relationships. If you are not stingy with money but are stingy in other matters, and people consider you a miser, your interpersonal relationships will suffer, and no one will want to associate with you.

The Christian faith is a faith of dedication. God gave His only Son to us. It is more blessed to give than to receive! Those who give are more blessed than those who receive!

Someone said they wanted to give a testimony, and all I heard was what they received and what blessings they had. We speak of testimonies of service. The church is a group of people who willingly offer themselves to God; it is a path of dedication. This is called Mingding Doctrine! The Bible says to cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

Choose to Be a Generous Person

Start adjusting in all aspects to become a generous person, a dedicated person. But do not constantly treat people; that is not good. Instead, build generous relationships. Learn to be shrewd; it does not matter to take a loss. In the Bible, Isaac dug a well, and people took it away. He dug another well, and they took it away again. Isaac said, "Bless you with a well." Isaac was a willing giver and had a hundredfold harvest in that place. So today, do we want to give or receive? This is our choice!

In marketing, do you understand the needs of others or your own needs? If you understand the needs of others, you will surely receive much from them. My team is truly wonderful; they are willing to offer themselves to God and are never petty. Sometimes, when we rent a house together and need essential supplies, we pool our money to buy and use them together, which greatly improves efficiency, rather than everyone buying and using their own.

From now on, constantly examine yourself in all aspects, no longer according to your own logic but according to the logic in the Bible. Jacob's wages were constantly changed by his uncle, but what does it matter? I encourage everyone to be filled with understanding and know what is worthwhile and what is not, to deal with the bad habits on your body one by one, to become a dedicated person, to become a giving person. May God bless everyone!

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