“It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive”

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email this article to a friend

Here is a little test for you. Are you more excited at Christmas time to watch the expressions on the faces of your loved ones when they open the gifts you gave them or when you open the gifts you received? If you are like most you will agree that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

What that quote is saying is that the way we give determines our state of happiness. The opposite of course is self-centeredness which only serves self and has little concern for the needs of others and brings along with it unhappiness. The clasic story of Scrooge at Christmas time is a picture of what becomes of those who think only of themselves and satisfying their own needs. But at least the Scrooge did finally learn the joy of giving.

There’s a true story of giving that is so touching; it’s about a father who went more than the extra mile, even to the very limits of human endurance, to give his son something to remember for the rest of his life.

One day a son asks his father: “Daddy, will you run the marathon with me?” The father answers yes and both run their first marathon together. One day, the son asks his father if he wants to run the marathon with him again and the father answers yes. They both run the marathon together again. Then one day the son asks his father: “Daddy, will you run the Ironman with me?” The Ironman is the toughest…it requires a 4km swim (about 2.5 miles), 180km biking (about 112 miles) and 42km running (about 26 miles). The father says yes again. This all may sound easy…but check this video.

How is a person remembered?
Not, “How did they die?”
But, “How did they live?”
Not, “What did they gain?”
But, “What did they give?”

Learning to be a giving person is a lot of what personal development is all about. While some are more given to the attribute of giving, it is still learned. Little children for example tend to be very selfish. If another child has a toy they want, they will try to take it away from them. We don’t teach children to be selfish; it is a natural tendency but we teach them to be unselfish.

I think it is fair to say that the majority of people tend to lean toward the self-centered, selfish approach to life. According to the Pareto principle (the 80/20 principle), 80% of people will do 20% of the giving while 20% will do 80% of the giving. 20% of any work force in general will contribute 80% of the productivity. 20% of those in a church will give 80% of the giving and do 80% of the work.

Escaping the more self-centered and selfish prone 80% is the object of improving as a person. Napoleon Hill’s book, ”Think and Grow Rich”* is based on the principle of giving. Mr. Hill interviewed 500 of the most successful people in the world over a period of 20 years to come to that conclusion.

Those 500 successful people had discovered a Biblical principle, a promise if you will; “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again”, Luke 6:38.

It is sad that a portion of the 80% of the general population not only are self centered but also want to try to take what others have through all types of scams and theft.

Osama Be laden and his evil henchmen were willing to destroy nearly 3,000 lives with the destruction of the twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon and flight 92 just to make their selfish view known that they disapproved of a culture that did not share their warped narrow view of religion. They would like to control the world and force their views on every person without any regard of any person’s personal desire. Of course that will never happen but it will not stop them from their selfish, brutal attacks on the lives of innocent people.

An even more common offence is committed not just by the thieves and the radicals but by everyday individuals who go about their lives with little or no concern for anyone else other than themselves. We expect the thieves and radicals to behave the way they do but how about a friend who would betray his best friend if it meant personal gain or how about a husband or a wife or a mother or a father who selfishly betrays their own who trust them and depend on them;

There always has been and always will be unfairness and selfish greed that dominates every avenue of life but that is no excuse for how we as individuals conduct our lives.

What a miserable way to go through life, to think only of one’s self and one’s own needs. Well someone may say, “Nobody is thinking of my needs so why should I think about anyone else’s needs”? Could be if they forgot about receiving anything in return and just helped others that the principle of return might just come their way; it did for 500 of the most successful people in the world.

But love is self sacrificing; it isn’t looking for what may come back but what things can come into the lives of others. It just so happens that those who give seem to always receive.

Either the greatest book ever written, The Bible, is a lie or it is the truth on how to live a blessed, happier more gratifying life; a caring life that serves the interests of others first. I for one have experienced the truths of the Bible effectively working in my own life as well as witnessing it in the lives of thousands of others.

The promise “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is real and true and it will work in your life when applied.

So how does one get started on the path of caring for others and their needs? There are so many needs in this world that it shouldn’t be hard to find any number of ways to help others. Compassion International is an organization with high integrity that for years has been helping little underprivileged children around the world. I have helped through this organization for several years now.

But sometimes the way you can give to others is just with a smile and a word of kindness. Corporately though a church many are helped. When you give through a church you are helping through the churches’ benevolent program to meet the needs of those in the community. Also missionaries are supported around the world who have given of themselves and made great sacrifices to minister in another culture and they are often deprived of many of the comforts we have here at home in order to give to others.

Jesus was teaching his disciples on giving and said this:

^“ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40)

We may not think of it this way but the Lord himself said that what we do to others is what we do to him.

When you began to look around, you will find all kinds of opportunities to help others; it might be through volunteering your time. I’m a member of an organization, Camper’s on Mission, who volunteer to do maintenance work to help children’s homes and many other service oriented organizations who do not have the money to hire it done. A group of friends and I built a church building for a little group of believers in Arizona who were meeting in a double wide trailer, who could not hire the work done. Plenty of opportunities to give are out there and they are not hard to find but it is hard sometimes to find those who are unselfishly willing to give.

*Free eBook “Think and grow Rich”: http://www.2ezbiz.org/TGR.pdf

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“With patience and ease, in an unselfish and purposeful way, over a time period undetermined, and for a good that includes others, I intend for $1,000,000 to come to me and to others who join me in holding to this objective.” Jimmie Burroughs


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Jimmie Burroughs is the author of JimmieBurroughs.com ; get more tips on personal development: www.JimmieBurroughs.com

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