Acts 20:35 (NLT)
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Interestingly, the gospels never record that Jesus said these words. Indeed, Paul references what Jesus said, not what was necessarily written down. John (21:25) wrote that “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written”. So the writer of Acts quoted Jesus from oral tradition.
However, the spirit of what Jesus taught can be summarized as being blessed in giving more than receiving. In Luke 12:33, he urged listeners to sell their possessions and give to the poor so that treasures in heaven would be stored.
Blessed (“makarios” in the Greek) means to be happy. Seeking happiness is perhaps the greatest pursuit of humankind (Thomas Jefferson thought so in writing the Declaration of Independence---…….”life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”). People seek happiness in so many ways yet the Bible is clear what produces true happiness. Why don’t most people believe what the Bible says about happiness? Jesus expressed several ways that produces happiness in His beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11, yet does the world believe this? No! Most people do not believe that attributes and attitudes like humility, purity, and meekness produce happiness. Why? Because they’ve never tried to be humble, pure, and meek.
What about giving rather than receiving, does this really produce true happiness? Are you happier when you give a gift to someone else than when someone gives you a gift? Are you happier when someone gives their time to help you or when you give your time to help them? I confess that sometimes I would rather stay home than go out and participate in some charitable cause. Yet, I go and feel so good about the time and effort I spent helping others. What puzzles me is why I have the reluctance to go out in the first place? I believe the Bible to be true that includes this verse about more blessed to give than to receive. I know that giving of my time, energy and money produces great happiness. So why the initial resistance to give? The blunt answer-----selfishness! It’s human nature to be selfish, you see this with your young children and you see this in yourself from time to time.
God knows that people are selfish because of their sinful nature. Therefore, biblical teaching always demands unselfish behavior. It promotes putting others first before yourself. It emphasizes the importance of storing treasures in heaven by doing good for others. It promises blessings to those who give more than receive.
I don’t know if this is a true story or who wrote it, but it was published in a book of Christmas stories someone gave to me and I think epitomizes giving over receiving. A man received a brand new automobile from his brother. The man was admiring his gift when a young boy came by and asked if that new car was his. He replied “yes” and that it was a gift from his brother. The little boy was astounded. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish...” He hesitated. Of course the man knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred the man all the way down to his heels.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.”
Ask yourself if your attitude about giving is like or unlike that little boy’s attitude. If it is, then you believe and know that indeed it is more blessed to give than to receive. And, you live a very happy life.
“Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it.” —John Templeton
No comments:
Post a Comment