As A Generous Business Partner We Must Never Forget To Be Grateful To God!
One day a very wealthy man was walking on the road and along the way he saw a beggar on the sidewalk. The rich man looked kindly on the beggar and asked, "How did you become a beggar?" The beggar replied, "Sir, I've been applying for jobs for a year now but haven't found any. You look like a rich man. Sir, if you'll give me a job, I'll stop begging." The rich man smiled and said, "I want to help you. But I won't give you a job. I'll do something better. I want you to be my business partner! Let's start a business together." The beggar blinked hard. He didn't understand what the older man was saying, "What do you mean, Sir?" The rich man replied, "I own a rice plantation. You could sell my rice in the market. I'll provide you the sacks of rice and I'll pay the rent for the market stall. All you have to do is sell my rice. At the end of the month, as business partners, we'll share in the profits." Tears of joy rolled sown his cheeks. "Oh Sir," he said, "you are a gift from Heaven. You're the answer to my prayers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
He then paused and said, "Sir, how will we divide the profits? Do I keep 10% and you get the 90%? Do I keep 5% and you get the 95%? I'll be happy with any arrangement! The rich man shook his head and chuckled. "No, I want you to give me the 10% and you keep the 90%." For a moment, the beggar could not speak. What he tried to speak, it was gibberish. "Uh, gee, uh, wow, I mean, huh?" He couldn't believe his ears. The deal was too preposterous. The rich man laughed more loudly. He explained, "I don't need the money, my friend, I'm already wealthy beyond what you can imagine. I want you to give me 10% of your profits so you grow in gratitude." The beggar knelt down before his benefactor and said, "Yes Sir, I will do as you say. Even now, I'm so grateful for what you've done for me!"
However, as time passed, the beggar began to forget where the blessings came from. Each day, the beggar dressed a little bit better, operated a store selling rice in the market. He worked very hard. He woke up earthly in the morning and slept late at night. Sales were brisk because the rice was of good quality. After thirty days, the profits were astounding. At the end of the month, the ex-beggar was counting the money, and liking very much the feeling of money in his hands, an evil idea grew in his mind. He told himself, "Why should I give 10% to my business partner? I didn't see him the whole month! I was the one who was working day and night for this business. I did all the work! I deserve 100% of the profits!" A few minutes later, the rich man was knocking on the door to collect his 10% of the profits. The ex-beggar opened the door and said, "You don't deserve the 10%. I worked hard for this. I deserve all of it!" And he slammed the door.
If you were his business partner, how would you feel? Friends this is what exactly almost all humans except the grateful do to God who is like our business partner who has invested in us when we were beggars who brought nothing in to this world when we were born (Job 1:21; 1 Tim 6:7-9). God gave us life: every single moment, every single breath, every single second. God gave us the talents: ability to talk, to create, to earn money. God gave us a body: eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet and heart. God gave us a mind: imagination, emotions, reasoning, language. How many times, instead of being grateful to God for all of His investments in to our lives, we just cringe to give even one tenth of our income to God as a tithe which is just the least we could give back in gratefulness to what God has already invested in our lives? So a person should set aside cheerfully something of the income that God gives (2 Corinthians 9:7), as New Testament says gifts should be given “in keeping with income” (1 Corinthians 16:2). It is better to start with 10% which is the least we can do according to the Old Testament standard, and go further up and up in our gratefulness to the New Testament level which is to give our entire mind, soul life and body as a living sacrifice to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2). If you are faithful in the least which is the money and income you get in your life, then you will be faithful in all the big things God will entrust you with to supply through you to many to fulfill His purpose for your life (Luke 16:10-11, 12-13). We will be truly blessed, only when we become a channel of blessing to many around us. If you fail to tithe to God what belongs to Him in ungratefulness (Mat 22:21), then you will fail to receive and experience His equivalent spiritual blessings which actually belong to you (Eph 1:3; 2:6). If ever we slam the door to God by failing to be grateful to what He has already done for us by giving us freely all things including our salvation (Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5, 6-7; Rom 8:32), then we automatically shun the benefits of salvation that actually should have been fully ours to enjoy legally (Rom 1:21; Heb 6:9). God will always supply the needs of His child who is faithful to Him (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19), the same applies in the opposite way to all those who are ungrateful and unfaithful with what God has given them.
Bible Truth :
"Honor the LORD with your wealth. Give him the first share of all your income." (Proverbs 3:9).
"You should each give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn't give if you don't want to. You shouldn't give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver who gives out of gratefulness for what God has already done for them." (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Much Blessings....
He then paused and said, "Sir, how will we divide the profits? Do I keep 10% and you get the 90%? Do I keep 5% and you get the 95%? I'll be happy with any arrangement! The rich man shook his head and chuckled. "No, I want you to give me the 10% and you keep the 90%." For a moment, the beggar could not speak. What he tried to speak, it was gibberish. "Uh, gee, uh, wow, I mean, huh?" He couldn't believe his ears. The deal was too preposterous. The rich man laughed more loudly. He explained, "I don't need the money, my friend, I'm already wealthy beyond what you can imagine. I want you to give me 10% of your profits so you grow in gratitude." The beggar knelt down before his benefactor and said, "Yes Sir, I will do as you say. Even now, I'm so grateful for what you've done for me!"
However, as time passed, the beggar began to forget where the blessings came from. Each day, the beggar dressed a little bit better, operated a store selling rice in the market. He worked very hard. He woke up earthly in the morning and slept late at night. Sales were brisk because the rice was of good quality. After thirty days, the profits were astounding. At the end of the month, the ex-beggar was counting the money, and liking very much the feeling of money in his hands, an evil idea grew in his mind. He told himself, "Why should I give 10% to my business partner? I didn't see him the whole month! I was the one who was working day and night for this business. I did all the work! I deserve 100% of the profits!" A few minutes later, the rich man was knocking on the door to collect his 10% of the profits. The ex-beggar opened the door and said, "You don't deserve the 10%. I worked hard for this. I deserve all of it!" And he slammed the door.
If you were his business partner, how would you feel? Friends this is what exactly almost all humans except the grateful do to God who is like our business partner who has invested in us when we were beggars who brought nothing in to this world when we were born (Job 1:21; 1 Tim 6:7-9). God gave us life: every single moment, every single breath, every single second. God gave us the talents: ability to talk, to create, to earn money. God gave us a body: eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet and heart. God gave us a mind: imagination, emotions, reasoning, language. How many times, instead of being grateful to God for all of His investments in to our lives, we just cringe to give even one tenth of our income to God as a tithe which is just the least we could give back in gratefulness to what God has already invested in our lives? So a person should set aside cheerfully something of the income that God gives (2 Corinthians 9:7), as New Testament says gifts should be given “in keeping with income” (1 Corinthians 16:2). It is better to start with 10% which is the least we can do according to the Old Testament standard, and go further up and up in our gratefulness to the New Testament level which is to give our entire mind, soul life and body as a living sacrifice to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2). If you are faithful in the least which is the money and income you get in your life, then you will be faithful in all the big things God will entrust you with to supply through you to many to fulfill His purpose for your life (Luke 16:10-11, 12-13). We will be truly blessed, only when we become a channel of blessing to many around us. If you fail to tithe to God what belongs to Him in ungratefulness (Mat 22:21), then you will fail to receive and experience His equivalent spiritual blessings which actually belong to you (Eph 1:3; 2:6). If ever we slam the door to God by failing to be grateful to what He has already done for us by giving us freely all things including our salvation (Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5, 6-7; Rom 8:32), then we automatically shun the benefits of salvation that actually should have been fully ours to enjoy legally (Rom 1:21; Heb 6:9). God will always supply the needs of His child who is faithful to Him (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19), the same applies in the opposite way to all those who are ungrateful and unfaithful with what God has given them.
Bible Truth :
"Honor the LORD with your wealth. Give him the first share of all your income." (Proverbs 3:9).
"You should each give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn't give if you don't want to. You shouldn't give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver who gives out of gratefulness for what God has already done for them." (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Much Blessings....
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