Dr. Tan Tek Seng

Daily Reflection

November 18, 2025

“Some give generously and gain more; others are too stingy and become poor.”

Proverbs 11:24

Generosity opens the door to abundance; selfish hoarding closes that door, bringing only loss. What we hold onto tightly will eventually be lost; but what we give freely will multiply in unimaginable ways.

Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, was one of the wealthiest men of the late 19th century. However, he understood that wealth was not something to be accumulated for personal gain. He famously said, "To die rich is a disgrace," and lived his life with this conviction. Carnegie donated over $350 million throughout his life to promote social progress—establishing over 2,500 public libraries, supporting education, and advancing scientific research.

In the process of giving generously, Carnegie gained far more than material wealth: a legacy that influenced generations, a testament to moral responsibility, and countless lives transformed. His story reveals a deeper truth—God's economy is not measured by how much we retain, but by how much we are willing to give. True abundance lies not in accumulation, but in the generosity of blessing others and glorifying the Creator—for He first freely gave to us.

Proverbs 11:24 reminds us once again that true wealth is not about how much we possess, but about how much we are willing to give our lives to others. When we are willing to give generously, we step into God's abundance, leaving a life impact that transcends material things and glorifying the Lord who first gave to us.

"The happiest people are not those who receive more people, but those who give more people."