Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.  Proverbs 11.25 (NIV)

It’s a simple proverb: if you refresh others, you get refreshed too. What does it mean to refresh? Webster’s tells us that refresh means “to restore strength and animation; to freshen up; to restore or maintain by renewing supply.” Similar words are “revive, renovate, stimulate, replenish.”

Other variations of the verse give additional color:

The liberal soul shall be made fat; And he that watereth shall be watered also himself. (ASV)

 A generous person will prosper, and anyone who gives water will receive a flood in return. (ISV)

 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. (ESV)

 I like that idea of the liberal soul (politics set aside). A liberal soul. Or perhaps a stronger, more noble word with the same idea: the beneficent soul. It’s the idea of those people who look to improve the lives of others.

Perhaps when you think of that idea—those who make others’ lives better—your mind strays to particular people. There are those who always seem to be the first up, the first to serve, the one with the kind word or the quick smile. You notice those people. You smile in return.

Those kinds of people make the world brighter, bigger, better. You can take courage even when the clouds seem dim. Those kinds of people give you hope. And hope does a funny thing—it’s like a ray of light that breaks through the darkness and eliminates it. Those kinds of people give us hope, the energy to go and do something good ourselves.

The liberal soul. The beneficent soul. Refreshing others. And the return? To be refreshed, revived, renovated—even a flood.

When you think of refreshing others, is there a person who comes to mind for you?

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published August 2, 2016

Topics: Culture Commentary

BibleEveryday Generosity