Taken from Friday’s edition of The Dave Ramsey Show.

As I have studied wealthy people, and studied the scriptures and all the indicators of people who win with money, one of them is that they’re generous.

I will admit to you that seems a little weird mathematically. If I have $1,000 and I give it to someone because I’m generous, don’t I have $1,000 less? Yes you do. But here is what’s interesting.

My friend Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who wrote the book “Thou Shall Prosper,” talks about this. He says, did you realize that all of your opportunities come through people? And people bring generous people more opportunities than they do greedy, angry, nasty, wicked people.

Think about it. Someone who has given money away then they get a generous spirit. And somebody who has a generous spirit is more attractive. People that have a generous spirit tend to have more opportunities sent to them.

Who do you want in on your next deal? Who do you want to have come work on your team in something that is a great opportunity? People that are likeable, people that are fun, and people who are generous.

Generosity runs all through your spirit. It doesn’t just run out of your wallet. It changes your character when you give. It makes you less selfish and more selfless. The more selfless you are, the more attractive you are, especially in a society full of busy people. The more generous you are the more opportunities you have and the more you prosper. There is a direct connection between generosity and your future prosperity.

Generosity, even when you’re broke, will change your life. Now, not foolishness and not impulsiveness, but just this idea that life is going to be OK even if I don’t have this $10, even if I don’t have this $20, even if I don’t have this $200,000, life is going to be OK.

You hold life and your stuff with an open hand. When you do that, it turns loose things inside of you. It turns loose things in the spiritual realm that start working in your favor and God goes, there is one I can trust. He’ll take care of the lesser one if I give him some money. If I give her some money, starving children will be fed. If I give that guy some money, nothing is going to happen but a pile of it in the corner, so I’m probably going to hold back on that.

Your opportunities come through other people. You’re more attractive to other people when you’re generous. The way you become a generous person is by giving, giving of yourself, giving of your kindness, giving of your compassion and giving of your money. When you systematically make giving a part of your life, you set yourself up to prosper.

Taken from Friday’s edition of The Dave Ramsey Show.

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JS