It Doesn’t Make Any Sense
When a person really wants to learn about something, why should that person volunteer to teach a class on that very subject? If a person wants to sell their work, why should they begin by giving some of their pieces away? When you need something for yourself and you don’t know how you will get it, why should you give stuff away while you are waiting? When someone gives you free green wood, why should you pass some of it along to others? It doesn’t make any sense. Shouldn’t you hold on tightly to what you have?
There is a principal that I wish I had learned when I was much younger. I hope when I’m gone people remember me as having been giving, generous, kind, and gracious. There is a natural law interwoven throughout Scripture, classic literature, and in every motivational speech I’ve ever listened to. That law is “The Law of Sowing and Reaping”. When a person volunteers to teach a class on a certain subject, they have committed to do the preparation necessary in order to deliver a competent and successful class. That involves doing the research, preparing all the visual aids needed to properly convey the concepts, methods, techniques and skills necessary to complete that particular project. In doing so they become very well–versed and may in fact become an expert on the subject they wanted to learn about themselves. By being willing to share this information with others they will receive more than any of the audience members. Although they did not give to get, that is undeniably what happens every single time.
Looking to our nation’s farmers, they know that in order to reap a harvest they must first sow the seed. Very good advice to anyone wishing to sell their items is to regularly give some of it away. Yes you can give items to relatives, but you can also make donations to worthy causes, to your coworkers, to local charities and sometimes to potential customers. It is easy to see that I follow my own advice; just look at my website under the “Free Downloads“ section. I always try to offer something extra with my sales items.
Although I would never encourage you to give something to someone for the express purpose of getting something back from that same person (that would be a bribe), I would encourage you to freely give and give often knowing that you will inevitably reap a harvest from many different directions. It is usually not from the same person. This is the immutable law of sowing and reaping. Be generous and hold on! You will reap what you sow and that means to get skill you sow skill, to get wood you need to sow wood, to receive friendship you need to sow friendship and so on.
Here is my inspiration:
Proverbs 11:24 MSG The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
On a personal note, I wrote out my tithe and offering check this week with a big smile knowing that sowing and reaping absolutely works. We are having a huge week in sales. Thank you to all of our customers. Out of the blue a customer called to place a very large order for custom pen blanks. The same day another wholesale customer called to place a large order. We had our largest one–day sales total ever this week. Coincidence? Not a chance. Be generous when you can with everyone you are able to help. Then hold on and enjoy the harvest. I am a big believer in paying it forward as well. If folks had not sown into my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Of course, you must do your part to make it happen. Sitting around waiting is usually a recipe for disaster.
Because, wherever you go there you are.
