Originally Posted August 12, 2021

Wow, the choice is before us…behind door #1 is Miserable Stingy Crab, and behind door #2 is Happy, Cheerful Giver.” Hmmmmm, which door to choose?

 Let’s be honest, nobody likes a crab.  Nobody likes to be with someone who’s complaining all the time…. “wow, it’s sooooo hot, I hate this weather”…. “gee,the food here is crummy, I thought it would be better”…. can you believe that sermon, talk about a dud…well, maybe I’ll toss in a buck….” Pick a topic and there’s always someone who’s complaining…. I certainly don’t mean to imply that it’s ever me complaining …I don’t complain…sure, sometimes it’s my duty to point out a flaw here and there, for the betterment of mankind, but complaining, no, not me. Hmmmmm. 

Well the problem with complaining is EVERYTHING ……. EVERYTHING is wrong with complaining. It’s like chopping a hole in a sinking boat to get rid of the water…..the boat sinks with everyone in it …it hurts everyone, including yourself. Complaining is contagious… one starts complaining and others pick up on it. Before you know it, everyone is miserable.

Most importantly, God does not like complaining or murmuring (subtle form of complaining). We just read about the Israelites complaining against God and Moses…. “not good”… God doesn’t put up with it. God punishes complainers, so we should be careful…. just talk to Moses’s sister Miriam. (Numbers 12:10)

On the other hand, God likes the generous.  “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.”  (2 Cor. 9:6-8)   “Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need…… he shall never be  moved… his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord… his generosity shall endure forever…” (Ps. 112:1-9)

Gee, I hope the bottom line of this BLOG is obvious. Let’s seek to be generous. Lord, help me to be generous …to be a generous giver. If I give generously , I’ll be happy and all will be well with my soul.

Note: The picture above is comedian Jack Benny, who often played a very stingy person…in real life he was a generous man.