Classic KJV - Proverbs 14:21

The popular financial strategy runs something like this: “Happiness comes in spending all our spare money on our own entertainment.” This proverb says exactly the opposite: Happiness comes in sharing with those in need. And it’s easy to find them. God arranges things so that we meet the poor among our neighbours and colleagues, in the course of our everyday activities

Sometimes urban planners deliberately design districts according to financial status. That may make for more homogeneous housing and better investments, but impairs the happiness of the rich and health of the poor. The poor need the help of the rich, and the rich need the poor to save them from self-worship: The I-land of Annihilation. The poor provide the wealthy with the happiness of generosity. The rich, trapped in themselves, are doomed to misery.

Following the destruction of much of Paris in a civil war, 19th century French urban planners rebuilt some neighborhoods with “layered” townhouses: The wealthy on the first two floors, the middle-class on the third floors, and the poor in the attics, so everyone had to rub shoulders.

Translation: Poor, Gracious

The Hebrew word for “poor” here, עני (ʽā•nî, pronounced “ah-nee”), is used 26 times in the Bible, often translated as “meek” or “humble.” It’s used first in Numbers 12:3, when Moses is described as the most humble man in the world. Its primary meaning is not financial poverty, but spiritual poverty or humility: Someone free from any sense of their own self-importance. It’s the word that King David used to describe himself in Psalm 34:6. Those who are “poor” are not insulted by this: The fact is, they hardly think about themselves at all. They’re focused on others and on God. Such people often have few material resources, because they don’t aggressively pursue wealth. They seek more substantial treasure.

The Hebrew word for “gracious,” חנן (ḥā•nӑn, pronounced “khah-nan”), stems from a root verb that means, “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior.” It doesn’t necessarily imply generosity or direct monetary gift-giving. It may mean simply noticing them, greeting them with a friendly word or smile. It may mean more. The importance of this “noticing” reveals that our own true wealth is really our time. Nothing is more important than our time, and therefore giving the needy our time. As has been said, “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.”

Happiness Clarified

The Hebrew word for “happy,” אשרי (ʼӑš•rê, pronounced “ash-ray”), is used 45 times in the Bible and usually translated as “blessed.” For example, in Psalm 41:1 we read, “How blessed is he who considers the helpless.” It’s first used at Deuteronomy 33:29: “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD. Who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread upon their high places.”

God loves to help those in need, and whenever we do the same, God blesses us.

Don’t Indulge; Be Happy

“He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses,” says Proverbs 28:27, warning that it’s better to share our blessings and wealth, instead of hoarding or spending on ourselves. Elizabeth Dunn PhD (UBC Psychology) and Michael Norton (Harvard Business) rediscovered this timeless truth in their Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending. They found that happiness comes, not from overindulging, but under-indulging and giving away our surplus to others.

This academic research confirmed God’s promise. We receive happiness, blessings, when we give to others, especially one of God’s five favourite charities: Full-time ministers, the poor, widows, orphans, and refugees.¹ The text does not say we should be gracious to all our neighbours. We should be kind to all, but the greatest satisfaction comes when we’re kind to the poor.

How much money do we need to be happy? Let’s think about it. What’s our number?

Many of us just aren’t content with what we now have, so we're constantly angling for a raise at work, befriending aged relatives, or springing for lottery tickets—the tax on stupidity.

So is it crazy to ask how much money we need to be happy? The notion that money can’t buy happiness has been tossed around forever—even before yoga came into vogue. But there is a measurable connection between income and contentment; not surprisingly, people with a comfortable living standard are happier than people in poverty.

The catch: Once we’re comfortable, any additional income doesn’t buy any extra happiness. The magic number defining this “comfortable standard” varies by territory, but in the United States, it falls somewhere around $75,000, just slightly over the average family income. With Gallup data from almost half a million Americans, Princeton researchers found that higher household incomes are associated with contented daily attitudes—but the beneficial effects of money taper off entirely after the $75,000 mark.

Read the rest at: “Don't Indulge; Be Happy” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton

Giving: The Enemy of Poverty

In his book, Business at its Best, Robert J. Tamasy correctly identifies giving as the enemy of poverty: “Perhaps the most profound statement about giving I have ever heard came from a friend who for many years has led an organization to assist the poor in a very neglected area of this city. He told me, ‘The greatest poverty is the inability to give.’ ... Regardless of your level of affluence, according to that statement, if you fail to give from what you have, you are the poorer for it.²

He does not refer to the incapacity to give, but the unwillingness to share from whatever you have. Giving is not only the opposite of greed, but it also breaks the power of poverty.

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

 Jesus was once asked, “Who is my neighbour?”

Jesus told the story of a traveller who was robbed and left half-dead by the roadside. A religious man came by, and, rather than helping, he walked by deliberately on the far side of the road. Then someone of high social standing came along and also ignored the helpless victim. Finally a foreigner passed by, nursed him back to consciousness, and arranged for ongoing medical care (Luke 10:30-37).

The point is this: God expects us to assist whoever comes across our path and happens to be in need, especially if they’re in need of a little of our time. If we can give them our time, the money comes easily.

1. The table below shows God's five favourite charties as stated in the Mosaic Law. The first column shows my commentary.

2. Business at its Best - Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today's Workplace by Robert J. Tamasy Copyright 2015, p 112,113