My dad was something else
To have known him was to love him. To have known him was also to have learned something. He was one of the best teachers you could ever meet. He knew more about the Bible and its application then anyone I’ve ever known.
The great thing about my dad’s teaching abilities was how he put things in practical terms. He used all sorts of unforgettable sayings that brought every lesson home. For instance, if you got him talking about dieting and eating healthy, it wouldn’t be long before you’d hear him say, “It ain’t whatcha’ eat, but what eats you.” That’s a classic!
He had a another saying he used often,
“There’s a direct nerve between your heart and your pocketbook”
I didn’t fully understand the depth of that quip until the first time I did some teaching on giving. To say the response to my teaching was unenthusiastic is an understatement. However, I’ve come to firmly believe that the principle of generosity is one of the most important keys to blessing in our lives.
Dad’s teaching wasn’t just folksy one-liners
Everything my dad taught he also lived. Being generous was something he believed important for a person to be blessed. Within a few moments of being with him you’d see him in action.
If you ever went to a restaurant with dad, he’ll fight you for the check. And then when it came to the tip, forget all those little calculators, he would just round things up to the nearest ten. You may think that’s extravagant, but dad would tell you, “Put yourself in the position of this person who’s serving us. Trying to make ends meet, maybe raising a family. I want them to know that there’s a God who not only loves them, but wants to bless them.”
Dad’s generous measurement
Besides wanting to bless people, dad understood that the level of his generosity determined how God would pour back blessings to him. He would regularly quote this verse…
For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (Matthew 7:2, NLT)
The measurements we use with people, whether or not we’re kind to them, whether or not we minister grace to them, and whether or not we’re generous with them, are the same measurements God will use on us.
May dad taught me how to be generous, but he also taught me how to be blessed.
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