Today I want to encourage everyone (myself included) to provide a generous act in the not too distant future. Why? Because the Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Generosity is a beneficial trait for both parties. The recipient receives a wonderful benefit, but the giver also feels good for having given something. I know this from personal experience. I think I receive more of a blessing when I have given someone a gift than when I have received one.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not at all saying that I don’t appreciate receiving gifts or that it’s wrong to do so. To have someone think enough of you to present some kind of gift is wonderful (the old adage “it’s the thought counts” applies here). I’m simply saying that there is great value in being a giving person.
Whenever someone mentions generosity – or least when I hear it I’m tempted to think this way – we naturally assume that the gift has to involve the spending of money. This is not necessarily so. It might mean that, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
I love the TV show “Home Improvement” with Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson. In a Thanksgiving episode, one of the characters declared, “Real charity is about giving of yourself.” I think that’s true. You may be inclined to simply give of your time, not your money. Maybe that means offering to babysit for overwhelmed parents. Maybe that means taking the time to write an encouraging e-mail to someone who needs it. Maybe that means mowing your neighbor’s lawn for them. There are countless examples. Let me quote that line once again: “Real charity is about giving of yourself.”
Kevin
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