Answers for Each Day - April 28
The Power of a Gift
Proverbs 19:7 says,
All the brothers of the poor hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
Sometimes just pursuing reconciliation with a person through communication is not enough. Sometimes you need to take it to another level. Look at Proverbs 18:16,
A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
Sometimes it wouldn't hurt you to offer a gift to someone with whom you are seeking to reconcile. The New International Version says, A gift opens the way.
When a brother is offended and the contentions are like bars of iron with the gate shut tight, the thing that opens the way is a gift. The Living Bible says, A gift does wonders. The Scripture says in Proverbs 21:14,
A gift in secret pacifies anger.
It is important to understand that both Proverbs 18:16 and 21:14 are actually shared in a negative sense. They are talking about the power of a bribe. Proverbs is great that way because it gives us both the positive and negative perspectives. It's a truth (that I'm not saying is a good thing) that a bribe can open doors which may not be opened otherwise.
In a positive way, it is true that a gift can do wonders. Not that you are trying to buy someone's favor, but a sincere gift can be a powerful form of communication. The important thing is your motivation behind it.
A gift can say, "You're valuable enough to me that I took some of my hard-earned money and bought this for you." A gift has the power to take things to another level as you seek to make things right.
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to connect with God.
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