GIVING AND RECEIVING

Paul, an apostle, said in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Most of us have had the opportunity to be on both sides of this saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” However, the text is clear that both giving and receiving are ‘blessed,’ but I assure you it is much more difficult to receive than to give.

Both giving and receiving are learned. To be a giver, and a generous one, can only come to us by experience and practice. To be a receiver, and a generous one, can only come to us by experience and practice. They are both birthed from gratefulness.

If we cannot learn to give and receive with grateful hearts we are probably doing our giving and receiving out of some form of legalistic habit or Law. It is very difficult to be grateful under Law. Knowing grace is what causes gratefulness. The learned path to giving and receiving is to do both ‘in secret.’

“But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.” Jesus