Why Wait to Do Good? (Proverbs 3:27-28)
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Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
This week, the overarching theme we’ll unpack and emphasize in Proverbs is grace. And today, we see grace in the form of action through our generosity.
These verses remind us that as believers, every opportunity to do good is a call to do so – not because we owe anyone in a legal sense, but because we have received so much through Christ.
We aren’t paying back a debt, but we are responding to and living out the grace of God. Because of what Jesus has done – taking our debt of sin upon Himself, dying on the cross for us, thus paying that debt once and for all – how could we not be generous people? With our time, our resources, our kindness – whatever we have to give. How could we not be generous?
In fact, should not Christians be the most generous people on the planet? We have every reason to be. We have the gospel! Saved from death, brought to life – that says it all.
So, when an opportunity to do good arises, we should take it. And if we refuse, we aren’t just missing out – we are withholding something that God has placed within our power to give.
That said, I don't want to skip over the second part of verse 27: “when it is in your power to do it.”
Yes, we are called to be generous, but Scripture is also clear that God never asks His children to give what they don’t have.
2 Corinthians 8:12 says,
"For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have."
God doesn’t demand what we don’t have. But He does call us to give freely from what we do have – and to do it without delay.
We see this in verse 28:
"Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you."
That word tomorrow – whether in English, Hebrew, or Aramaic – can be a way of postponing something indefinitely. It's a diplomatic way to make an excuse, and boy are we good at making those. We've all said something along those lines as a means of saying no or excusing ourselves. 'Come back later', 'come again tomorrow', 'Hey ask me again tomorrow'…these are all things I've said before and you've probably said before and we both probably will say again at some point. We love making excuses for reasons not to do what God has called us to do.
But why postpone the chance to bless someone when we have the ability to do so? Why make excuses when we could give now?
There’s an old saying: “He gives twice who gives quickly.” It’s a blessing to give to someone else, and even more so when your giving comes at the needed time.
Now it’s one thing to give quickly, but the heart behind it is just as important, if not more so. What really drives our generosity? Why give in the first place?
Many would say it's because it’s the morally right thing to do. Even non-believers might nod in agreement at this principle. But this giving isn’t about doing the “right thing.” It doesn’t come from moral obligation.
We give because God gave His Son Jesus. We give because Jesus gave His life for us. We give because Jesus died on a cross for our sins.
Jesus displayed the ultimate act of grace by dying for us, and because of that, we are free to reflect that grace to others. Not out of duty. Not because we have to. Not because it’s morally right. But because we get to, and, with hearts transformed by Jesus, we want to.
So, reflecting on this verse today, ask yourself:
How does the gospel transform my view of others and how I give to them?
And who can I give to today, whether it’s from my time, resources, or elsewhere, to bless them?
Let’s pray.
