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◄ Being Stingy►

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Definition and Overview:
Being stingy refers to an unwillingness to share resources, particularly money or possessions, with others. It is characterized by a reluctance to give or spend, often driven by selfishness or fear of lack. In the biblical context, stinginess is often contrasted with generosity, a virtue highly esteemed in Scripture.

Biblical References:

1.Proverbs 11:24-25 : "One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." This passage highlights the paradoxical nature of generosity versus stinginess. While withholding may seem to preserve resources, it ultimately leads to poverty, whereas generosity leads to prosperity and refreshment.

2.Proverbs 28:22 : "A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him." This verse warns of the dangers of pursuing wealth with a stingy heart. The pursuit of riches without generosity leads to spiritual and often material poverty.

3.2 Corinthians 9:6-7 : "Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver." The Apostle Paul encourages believers to give generously and cheerfully, contrasting the limited returns of stinginess with the abundant blessings of generosity.

4.Luke 12:15 : "Then He said to them, 'Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'" Jesus warns against greed and the false security found in material wealth, urging His followers to find their worth and security in God rather than possessions.

Theological Insights:

·God’s Generosity: The Bible consistently portrays God as generous, providing abundantly for His creation. Believers are called to reflect God's character by being generous themselves. InMatthew 5:45, Jesus notes that God "causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous," illustrating divine generosity.

·Stewardship: Christians are viewed as stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. This stewardship involves using resources wisely and generously to further God’s kingdom and help those in need. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) underscores the importance of using what God has given for His glory and the benefit of others.

·Heart Attitude: The issue of stinginess is ultimately a matter of the heart. Jesus taught that where one's treasure is, there the heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). A stingy heart reveals misplaced priorities and a lack of trust in God's provision.

Practical Implications:

·Generosity as Witness: Generosity serves as a powerful witness to the world of God’s love and provision. Acts of giving and sharing demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel in a believer’s life.

·Community and Fellowship: In the early church, believers shared their possessions to ensure no one was in need (Acts 4:32-35). This model of communal generosity fosters unity and strengthens the body of Christ.

·Overcoming Stinginess: Believers are encouraged to cultivate a spirit of generosity through prayer, reflection on Scripture, and practical acts of giving. Trusting in God’s provision and focusing on eternal rather than temporal wealth can help overcome the tendency to be stingy.

In summary, the Bible presents stinginess as contrary to the character of God and the life He calls His followers to lead. Through the example of Christ and the teachings of Scripture, believers are encouraged to embrace generosity as a reflection of their faith and trust in God.

Topical Bible Verses

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again.
Topicalbible.org

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
Topicalbible.org

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.
Topicalbible.org

James 4:3
You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts.
Topicalbible.org

Library

On the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Commandments of the Church
... But if God left you free, should you therefore bestingy with Him?... Then when he saw
that his brother's sacrifice was pleasing to God,being filled with jealousy...

But There is a Further Fact; Forgotten Also Because we Moderns...
... a stuffed stocking forbeing good or stood him in the corner forbeing naughty... real
difficulty," they say, "when a boy is bumptious or an aunt isstingy, when a...

About Generosity
... But instead ofbeing proud, and thinking the other boy cowardly, he went over to
the younger lad and said: "Now... Don't bestingy with your thoughts about people...

How those who Maintain that a Man Can be Without Sin are Charged...
... guilt from those idle and random vagaries of our thoughts, butbeing rendered stupid...
the brightness of our cheerfulness is clouded over by astingy delay, nor...

Following "Whithersoever"
... not hear of ministers'being kept out of the work through lack of support or a lack
of funds to carry on the Lord's work. Think of astingy "whithersoever"!...

Letter cxv. To the Heretic Simplicia.
... mad for gold, ruthless, grumbling about their dinner, inconstant,stingy, greedy,
insatiable... The blessed Basilbeing ill and entering a bath to bathe, Simplicia...

Rahab's Faith
... them, yet she was so strong that she would run the risk ofbeing put to... Ah!" said
one who heard it, "the Lord have mercy on your miserablestingy soul, for if...

Plus Ultra Vs. Ne Plus Ultra.
... I have spoken of womanbeing the "last of creation." This expression is generally
used in a... Those who sow with astingy hand may expect to reap a scanty harvest...

Whether it is Lawful for Religious to Beg?
... begging out of humility, just as they abase themselves in other ways, asbeing the
most... forbid anyone to beg, but it forbids the rich to be sostingy that some...

Religion --A Reality
... man, for he is filled with sin and drenched with iniquity, till he loatheth his
ownbeing.... Why I know a man who was asstingy a soul as could be, once, and now...