Acts 2 V 35
‘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.’
Children generally are very attuned to receiving. This is
very obvious when their Birthdays or other celebrations occur and they are very
quick to tell us exactly what they would like to receive! As adults, we enjoy
seeing the look on our children’s faces as they open their presents and shriek
with happiness seeing their expectations fulfilled! In situations like this the joy
of giving is very obvious which is why, as people mature, they are often more
interested in giving than receiving. We can learn a great deal about giving from
children too because they are very loving, full of laughter and fun, all of
which create the feel-good factor in us.
As implied, giving is actually a very wide field and should
never be confined to occasions. Sometimes giving requires dedication and it may
involve hard work. Alternatively you can make a small commitment to giving in
the first instance. A simple example is to give a smile to people when you are
introduced, conveying a sense of pleasure and feeding into someone’s sense of
self-worth. Giving support by making time to listen to people’s ideas or
problems is very valid, especially as time is a precious commodity. Often people
are able to make far better decisions having received the opinions or advice of others
and seeing them achieve on a personal or business level is very rewarding.
Financial aid enables us to make a huge difference to other
people’s lives in our own countries and abroad. What people sometimes fail to
realise is that when you give whenever you are in a position to, you tend to receive
at a time when you are in need. This does not mean you will necessarily receive
like for like, you might receive something else- an unexpected job
opportunity for instance after contributing hours coaching the community football team!
Giving is immensely satisfying and no matter how strong we
are and how good life is, there are times when we all benefit from the help and
kindnesses other people show to us. Try opening your eyes and identifying
genuine opportunities to give on a daily basis. You will add great value to
your own life and the lives of others.
Jaz McKenzie
If you would like to write a short article for ~IB~ contact: itsbraap@live.co.uk
Comments
Post a Comment