“A happy smile” by CharlesFred See License

She Who Refreshes Others

Giving away our time, money or resources really goes against the Western world's stance of pursuing success and accumulating wealth as a measurement of that success. God, however, tells us to share our blessings, which means to sacrifice what we have, perhaps something we value, when we see a need in someone else's life. We have talked about how it can be less painful to write a check than to help a friend or family member going through a rough time.

“Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage — to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life." 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19

“[She] who refreshes others will be refreshed." PROVERBS 11:25

The Proverbs statement really caught my attention a few weeks back when I ran across it. It made me think of people who are battling depression and low self-esteem. It is easy to wonder what is our purpose or to grow weary from struggling with the same problem we've been wrestling with for what seems a lifetime. What if we just changed our attitude and the question, "How can I bless others?" to a simple "How can I bring refreshment to someone today?" We know how a smile is contagious. Let's start a wave of pouring out refreshment to the tired masses, starting with our own circle of family and friends and people we come across.