Go-Givers in a Go-Getter World
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.” ACTS 20:35 NIV
In the scripture passage, the apostle Paul asks the Ephesian elders to remember what Jesus said. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul quotes Jesus’ words in Paul’s farewell address to the elders of the church at Ephesus, in Asia Minor. Paul is going to Jerusalem, and he does not expect to see, or to be seen by these elders again. Paul encourages them to remain faithful to his teaching, to be watchful for outside attacks on the church, and to follow his example as they remember what the Lord Jesus had said.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Receiving is not a bad thing. Receiving is a good thing. For the receiver, receiving can: support, comfort, delight, empower, heal, affirm, nourish, encourage, free up, embolden. Receiving is good, and receiving is the precursor to giving. How we give is influenced by how we receive.
What have we been given that we have never fully welcomed into our life? It came from someone else, and we do not employ or enjoy it. What relationships do we keep at arms length? What opportunities do we postpone time and time again? What gifts or abilities do we not use because to do so would mean acknowledging the giver and allowing him or her into our life? What fears keep us from receiving and really experiencing the gift and the giver?
In Matthew 10:8 we read Jesus’ words: “Freely you have received, freely give.” How we give, our generosity is influenced by what we have truly received. We can give freely because we have received freely, and fully, and gratefully.
Getting is not receiving. Getting is hunter-gathering. Getting is spending our lives in cycles of bigger, shinier, costlier, improved, faster, 50% off, and higher investment returns until one day, the cycle slows, then stops and finally crashes. If we were on that getting train, we too slowed, then stopped, and finally crashed. Our nation is experiencing the false promises of a go-getter world.
There is Good News! There is good news in our current situation. We can learn that getting is not the life we truly want; especially if it leads to financial Armageddon. Receiving is a good thing, especially if we need to receive in these days. And, and… giving is even better. Giving is better than getting.
Consider the call to generosity. Generosity is:
Giving to others beyond what is required or expected of us
Providing someone with a value that is not part of a definite trade
Liberality in giving and nobility of thought or behavior
A characteristic of the early Christians who followed The Way of Jesus
A part of our created nature which is in the image of God
Generosity is a core value for Christians and flows from three closely interrelated themes: 1) the love of God as the giver of all gifts, 2) the common humanity of everyone, and 3) the humility of Christ who did not cling to his riches. (Edward C. Vacek)
Mark Vincent in his book “A Christian View of Money”, writes that Christians are called:
1) to receive gratefully, understanding that God is the owner and giver of all they are and all they have;
2) to manage faithfully and adopt modest standards of living to make good and wise use of all their resources; and
3) to share generously in as many ways as possible.
Generosity begins with God. In the beginning God created… everything!! In the wilderness when the Hebrews were starving, God provided manna and quail. When Elijah the prophet imposed upon the hospitality of the widow of Zarephath who was expecting with her son to starve, God provided oil and meal for food.
Jesus provided box lunches for 5,000 from only five small loaves and two fish. When the disciples had fished all night for nothing, Jesus filled their nets to the breaking point. When the wine ran out at the wedding feast, Jesus changed water into wine and the celebration continued. And God will host the banquet tables in His kingdom for all who will attend.
God is not only generous. God is extravagant! Hear Ralph Seager’s poem.
The Extravagance of God…
More sky than one can see,
More seas than one can sail,
More sun than one can bear to watch,
More stars than one can scale.
More breath than one can breathe,
More yield than one can sow,
More grace than one can comprehend,
More love than one can know.
What about our generosity? Is our generosity limited only to our money? Can we be generous in other areas of life? How generous are we with our time, with our attitude, with our skills and talents, with our influence, with our decision-making, with our family, with consideration of others, with our attention, with others’ interruptions, and with our driving on the interstate highways?
North American Christians live in a society of abundance. However, the fear of scarcity dominates a lot of our talk and action. The Bible reminds us over and over of the abundance that is ours, not because of the GDP of our nation, but because of God’s generosity.
Jesus said that Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. What would it mean for Christians and their congregations if we believed in God’s abundance rather than in scarcity? What if generosity became a leading and guiding value within our lives and in our churches?
So, what’s the message? Well, here it is and Jesus said it. Giving is better than getting. Translating from the Greek, giving is happier than getting. Generosity blesses us and blesses others and blesses God. So, do not be conformed to our go-getter world, but rather be transformed into go-givers.
Don’t worry, be happy. Be generous. Be go-givers in a go-getter world.
AMEN.
Ruben Swint
rubenswint.com
rubenswint@gmail.com