Many people tell me that they prefer giving over receiving. I wonder if they’ve ever considered where they got what they have to give. It’s common sense to recognize that we can only give what we have in the first place, and what we have we received from somewhere.
If we have money to give, we received it from some entity. Yes, we may well have worked for it, exchanging our labor for pay. But first someone had to give us a chance and employ us. They believed in us enough to hire us, and we received their offer. If we have food, clothing, or household goods to give, we received those just as we did the money. It could be that we were given them, but even if we originally purchased them, we still had to have received the money, as I pointed out.
What about our most valuable gifts: our time, our love, our attention and support? How is it that we have those to give? We have the ability and willingness to give the highest and best of ourselves because someone first extended those things to us. For most people, it began with their parents, and of course believers will tell you God is the ultimate source of these things.
If giving has become a chore for you, it could be that your storehouse is running low. Those familiar with the New Testament know that even Jesus, the consummate giver, frequently went away alone to “refuel” himself, receiving rest, guidance, and peace. What is it you need to receive? Don’t be afraid to seek it, because you cannot give what have not received.
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