Long before you understood this intellectually, I believe, you grasped it in your young mind. There are blessings that come from being a giver. Sharing with another, giving from what you have to someone who has little, or even just being the personality that allows for others to enjoy what you possess.
On the flip side, there are those who seem to exist to simply be “takers”. What you have they want, and take, without any concern for where it leaves you.
I’m sure we have nature and nurture to blame for which side of the coin we are on, but think about your personality.
Are you more apt to be a giver and never consider anything in return?
Or do you always take an accounting of how much you’ve given and judge whether to ever give again?
Scriptural principles exist to teach us “giving” lessons all day long, but are we willing to live like this? I do not think there is any choice in the matter! Just like Jesus gave his life for all, we must be willing to live these Giver Principles.
Giver Principles To Live By
We all need principles in our lives to shape us into an image that we would probably never achieve if we were to make choices based on our nature, or nurture. I believe we not only change ourselves by being a “giver”, but we generate positive changes in others to become givers and not simply a taker.
My pastor (James L. Kilgore) spoke of this concept often. When someone came wanting to work with him in his ministry and at his church, he would take them on a tour of the facility. Purposefully, and I’m sure he never thought much about it, he would pick up some piece of trash he spotted. Then, he would lead them by some debris he spotted. If they followed his example and picked up the trash themselves, then perhaps they had the right attitude to be of service to others. If not, he would thank them for their interest and point them down the road.
Be A Blessing
It is more blessed to be a giver. (Acts 20:35) Yes. You receive many blessings all day long from those whose shoulders we stand upon. The fact that we can live with infrastructure, even homes we did not build, what a blessing to enjoy. But somewhere, and somehow, we must give find the pathway of giving back.
I found this quote from Anne Frank. You know her only by the incomplete life she lived on this earth, but her reach down through the annals of time and impact are many.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ~Anne Frank
We’ve heard it often, “You can’t outgive God!” I believe a blesser knows how to give from their abundance, as well as from their scarcity. It’s not about giving because we have to give, but giving when it’s the right thing to do even when we are living with little ourselves. Be a blessing, and you will receive showers of blessings! (Ezekiel 34:26)
Think about the lesson Jesus taught in real life. It’s not a parable. It happened in front of him. The Widow’s Mite. The rich and capable gave from their abundance, the widow gave from her all.
Take No Accounting
Invite Others. When you have a feast, do not just invite those who can reciprocate, but invite those who will never be able to invite you in return. The poor, maimed, sick, blind… your reward is out of this world! (Luke 14:12-14)
I’ve spent time thinking about everything that has been poured into me without anyone ever thinking about getting something back from me. Only the mean-spirited person keeps an account.
“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” ~Albert Einstein
But along the way, I know. I remember all the times my meal was paid for, groceries were put into my cupboard, extra cash was slipped into my hand… I remember. So. I am willing to give out and never keep up with what goes out, nor what returns back to me.
The principle is to simply pour into others. You cannot give backward, you only give forwards. Some will call this “Pay it forward!”
Accept A Blessing
You receive in return, (Luke 6:38) good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing…
Our problem is that we think this is a return of similar investments. You know, invite someone, and they will invite you in return. I’ve learned, the reality is that I cannot match what I give to what I will receive. It sometimes comes in strange packaging! Sometimes you give a blessing, and the resulting action produces blessings that flow to you from totally different sources.
Regardless, you don’t give expecting the same result to flow back to you.
“Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.” ~John D. Rockefeller Jr.
If giving is a privilege, then receiving should be seen as a blessing. No matter how small, or large.
Be A Giver in Secret
It’s in the Beatitudes that Jesus teaches us about doing our deeds in secret. We will be rewarded openly, but it is not a “quid pro quo” that is seen and received.
Give your alms, pray, and fast – all in secret. It is not something done openly for others to notice, rather, it’s something done between you and God! (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18)
Quid Pro Quo
A favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something.
Essentially, you do what you do, expecting nothing in return, and if you do it correctly, the receiver never knows who did it! Call it a “Secret Santa”. There are blessings that come openly when you are a “giver” in secret!
Another pastor (Franklin Jones) taught us the principle of surprising someone else and they never learn “who” it was that blessed them. He would arrange their restaurant bill to be taken care of, but they not be told about it until he was gone. Or, at a toll road, give the attendant a roll of quarters and instruct them to cover the tolls of as many cars behind him that they could.
My bride and I do this regularly. At a local restaurant we are blessed with families that serve in the military, far from home, and, I believe, struggling with their finances. So, we make the arrangements as we are preparing to leave, so that someone will be blessed and we are not there to receive any praise or thanks.
Here’s a thought from a different direction. God does not look at the outward appearance (physique, gift, talent, etc.) but rather looks on the Heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
Here’s My Thought Today
My stresses are real every holiday season. It’s difficult to find an escape from the realm of always “giving” and enjoying some quiet and private family time. Jesus often sent his disciples away while he spent private time in prayer. For me, this time isn’t just about kneeling, but also about recovery, recouping his strength to re-enter the fray.
All “givers” need recovery time. “Takers” never think about what they are taking, and they never need seem to take a break. Jesus taught his disciples a lesson from the “giving” action of the woman with the Alabaster Box. She gave without taking into consideration the cost, or what else it represented.
But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them,
“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
(Matthew 26:10-13 NKJV)
Notice the focus. “You have the poor with you always.” He did not call her poor, but there are some actions you take that are sacrificial. They could be repurposed for other needs, but you get to choose what gifts you give! Give your gift to the Lord. Let it be your sacrifice. Do not expect anything in return, but don’t forget the needs of others. Keep your heart on right.
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
~Booker T. Washington