A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 NIV
Granted, the title for this devotion may be shocking and offensive. We live in a world where we are constantly body-shamed and constantly bombarded with diet fads. Many of us, myself included, likely fit into that couple of pounds over the body mass index standard. So why on earth would I title the devotion “Fat Soul?”
Well, those aren’t my words; the literal Hebrew says, “The soul of blessing will be made fat.” The more generous we are in giving, the more we become fattened. Unlike our physical bodies, where we need to be careful about what we eat and how much we eat, we can have as many spiritual calories as we desire.
How great is that? Finally, we can have as much of something as we want and not gain an ounce. The more abundant we are in giving ourselves to others–not simply our financial gifts, but compassion, gentleness, and kindness–the more we are blessed.
The metaphor changes in the second half of the sentence from fat to water, but the thought follows. When we water others, we can’t help from being flooded ourselves. We aren’t even using our water! Whatever we have is given from a source that never ends: God’s “river of delights” and “fountain of life” (Ps 36:8-9)
The faster we pour, the more gets poured into our bucket. Imagine we are a one-gallon bucket, pouring into someone else one-gallon bucket; at that same time, God is refilling our bucket from a ten-gallon bucket. The volume never declines but runs over.
God, thank you for all the blessings you give us each day. Please help us become fat souls by sharing what you’ve freely given with others. May we do this not from a fear of scarcity but abundantly and freely. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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