The Laws of Life: Generosity versus Pettiness

Today’s message from "Living in Abundance" addresses a fundamental question: how does one live a successful and fulfilling life? If you observe those who thrive, you will discern a clear law of human behavior. People generally fall into two categories: the generous and the petty. Those who are generous can afford to take a loss and shoulder responsibility. Those who are petty cannot bear to lose even a fraction, nor can they accept responsibility. Very few petty individuals ever succeed in life. However, being generous does not mean being foolish or reckless. One must exercise sharp judgment on when to be magnanimous and when to be prudent.

The Petty Do Not Thrive

During my university days, we lived in crowded dormitory blocks. In some dorms, relationships were harmonious; in others, they were highly strained. Winter in Beijing was harsh—minus ten degrees Celsius, with no running hot water. We had to carry thermoses to a water station five minutes away, fill them, and bring them back after evening self-study for our daily wash. Some students would only fetch one thermos for themselves. Others would carry two, helping a close friend. A few would carry four. The student who only carried his own often found his water mysteriously gone; his peers targeted him because of his selfishness. This is a classic example of a petty mind. As the Chinese saying goes, "You can see the adult in the three-year-old child." Petty people do not end up well. Pettiness also manifests in temperament—getting easily offended over trivial matters is a sign of a small mind.

Among us are people of various ages. Pettiness ultimately costs you. If you understand this, you will choose not to be petty. If you choose to remain petty and suffer the consequences, that is your own funeral. Everyone has their own standards of judgment; opinions will differ. Generous people may seem to lose out in the short term, but they look at the long-term horizon. Petty people focus only on immediate, short-term gains.

In a management university in Singapore, students often organize research projects spontaneously. The petty ones scheme and calculate, but in the end, no group wants them. On the other hand, some students may not be the most capable, but they are willing to contribute money and effort; naturally, everyone wants to work with them. Human relationships have intrinsic value. Personally, I despise taking advantage of others. I place a high premium on relationships, and these connections have served me immensely. Money and relationships are simply not on the same scale of value. No matter your age, you must learn to observe this. It is not that generous people are foolish; rather, their internal calculus is different. I urge you to examine this reality. That petty classmate from my university days, now in his fifties, is almost certainly not living a good life.

Generosity and Pettiness are Influenced by Regional Culture

Different regions have distinct cultures and value systems. Recently, I ministered to a brother from a region known for its extreme pettiness. He admitted to me, "People from your region are highly generous and magnanimous." I readily agree with this assessment.

Some time ago, I ministered to another individual who stayed with me for a long period. She was exceedingly petty. Her close friend, conversely, was highly generous and had lent her hundreds of thousands of dollars, which remained unpaid. Yet, this petty woman went to attend some seminar on charity and declared, "I want to do charity!" I told her bluntly: "Pay back your debt first before you talk about charity." Her response was telling. She said, "It's not like I can't afford to pay it back." When her friend asked, "Then pay me back now," she retorted, "Are you really that desperate for this money?" Whether you are naturally generous or petty, you must never ruin your personal brand. Every one of us is a brand. We must build stable, reliable relationships. I have previously emphasized the concept of "stability." Just as an aircraft requires aerodynamic stability to fly, a human being must have character stability. Some people are not only petty with money, but also petty with their pride and their relationships.

Later, I hosted an elderly sister who was a well-known practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She earned a high monthly income, yet at her advanced age, she was destitute. I had to cover all her expenses for food and lodging. You will find that deep-seated pettiness is the very root of poverty. A person's character dictates their flaws, and the older they get, the harder it is to change.

It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive: The Choice Between Offering and Blessing

Our observations show that petty people do not thrive. Look at relationships: even if you are not stingy with money, but petty in other matters, people will still label you as petty. Once you are branded as such, your social capital erodes, and no one will want to associate with you.

The Christian faith is fundamentally a faith of offering. God offered His only begotten Son to us. It is more blessed to give than to receive; the one who contributes is far more blessed than the one who merely consumes.

Some people say, "I want to share a testimony." But when I listen, it is always about what they have received or how they were blessed. True testimonies in our church are testimonies of service. The church is a collective of people who willingly offer themselves to God. This is a path of offering, and this is the Mingding Doctrine! The Bible instructs us to cast our bread upon the waters, for we will find it after many days.

Choosing to Be a Generous Person

You must begin to adjust your mindset in every area of life to become a generous, giving person. This does not mean wasting money on hosting endless social dinners—that is foolish. Rather, it means establishing magnanimous relationships. Learn to be shrewd, but do not fear taking a minor loss. In the Bible, Isaac dug a well, and his enemies seized it. He dug another, and they seized that too. Isaac simply blessed them with the wells. He was a man willing to offer and yield. Consequently, he reaped a hundredfold harvest in that land. Today, the choice is ours: do we want to contribute, or do we merely want to acquire?

In marketing, do you focus on your own needs or the needs of others? If you understand the needs of others, you will inevitably reap great rewards from them. My team is exceptional because they are willing to offer themselves to God without petty calculations. When they rent a house together, they pool their resources to buy and share daily necessities. This drastically improves efficiency, far better than everyone buying and using things individually.

From this day forward, examine yourselves rigorously in every aspect. Stop operating by your own flawed logic; instead, align yourselves with Biblical logic. Jacob’s uncle repeatedly changed his wages, but what did it matter in the end? I urge you to acquire a clear, rational understanding of what is truly profitable and what is not. Eradicate your bad habits one by one. Become a person of offering, a person of contribution. May God bless you all!

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