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Giving or taking?

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

The word delivered in this past Sunday’s service struck a chord deeply within my soul. In every situation there are givers and there are recipients. At times, it is hard to tell the difference between the two. That is because when you look closely, you see that a recipient is being given what God has promised them. The recipients are givers who gave of themselves, be it their time and energy, their money, their food, their possessions; they gave, therefore, they received.

Recipient vs. taker
From the outside, a recipient could easily appear to be a taker. After all, they are taking what someone else is giving. The difference between a recipient and taker is not always evident. The difference stems from the recipients’ motivations and intentions. The taker hasn’t earned what they are being given. They constantly withdraw from the bank selfishly, yet they never make a deposit. The recipient, on the other hand, is receiving what has been promised to them. They gave without expectation from man, knowing that their blessings had already promised to them by He who can only be guaranteed to make good on his promises. The recipient receives what they deserve.

Who and why to give?
Recently, I was listening to Rabbi Shmuley’s show on Oprah and Friends and the topic of discussion was giving to the homeless, and the Rabbi asked callers why they do or don’t give to the homeless on the street. The calls ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other. The caller that struck me the most was the caller who said she’d been burned by giving to a homeless person and being insulted. The person on the street asked her for money and she wanted to give this person food instead. The person replied to her gift in disgust, wondering where she got the audacity to give food when the request had been for money. This woman, who wanted to give from her heart, was insulted to the point that she refuses to give in that manner anymore. However, she did not allow that experience to deter her from giving at all; she now chooses to give to organizations that provide aid to the homeless.

Have faith and be open to the needs of others. When opportunity presents itself, consider doing what you can for someone else. God has already promised to provide for you abundantly, won’t you allow Him to work through you to provide for someone else. After all, you too are ‘someone else’.

How often do you donate your time or resources to others? Do you give because you expect to get back or because it warms your heart to do so? What suggestions do you have to inspire more people to give to others?