The Power in Giving
We are all probably familiar with the power of giving. When we give, we draw to ourselves even more of God’s Grace and Goodness. Jesus exhorts us in the book of Mathew to give without relenting. “Heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Mathew 10:8). Many people think thatgiving is limited to providing the material needs in life but Jesus brings out the multi-dimensional nature of giving. His call suggests we should also give of ourselves in every way possible, using all our God-given talents, powers and resources.
My late grandmother used to tell me that if you cling too tight to money, you’ll never be a rich man. That was another way of reiterating the profound power of giving and the necessity to give continuously. Giving has the power to heal our divisions and unite us as children of the one God. Giving has the power to bring out the essence that is in our lives, the stuff we are all made of – pure love. Giving reminds us of our complete inter-connectedness and brings us in complete harmony with the Golden Rule:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Mathew 7:12)
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
But are we familiar with the power in giving? What makes giving so thoroughly powerful and transformational? Jesus offers us the ultimate lesson in the power in giving by reminding us how “…freely ye have received, freely give” (Mathew 10:8). Everything we have came from God and it did so freely. His unconditional love for all mankind teaches us how to give correctly. God loves us, not because we’re good or faithful but because He created us in His own image and wants us to be like Him. His love for us is completely selfless as shown by the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus, to save us.
Often we give because it makes us feel good in the end. We give because we feel we have to give back something to society. We give because the Church, or some other authority, requires us to do so. We give because we simply can’t stand the sense of guilt when we see others starving, suffering and dying while we have three square meals a day and maintain a roof over our heads. In all these cases, it is more about us and how we feel than the subject of the giving and that takes out the essence and the power in giving.
The power in giving is the ability to give for no reason other than simply and
genuinely wanting to give. We sincerely and fully empathize with the recipient. Our focus remains on the receiver and we expect absolutely nothing in return. This is often easier said than done in practice and we need to carefully examine ourselves to ensure that we do not have any hidden motives that weaken the essence of our giving.
Give more and as frequently as possible. But, most importantly, always purify your act of giving in other to unlock the essence in giving and experience the full power of giving.
My late grandmother used to tell me that if you cling too tight to money, you’ll never be a rich man. That was another way of reiterating the profound power of giving and the necessity to give continuously. Giving has the power to heal our divisions and unite us as children of the one God. Giving has the power to bring out the essence that is in our lives, the stuff we are all made of – pure love. Giving reminds us of our complete inter-connectedness and brings us in complete harmony with the Golden Rule:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Mathew 7:12)
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
But are we familiar with the power in giving? What makes giving so thoroughly powerful and transformational? Jesus offers us the ultimate lesson in the power in giving by reminding us how “…freely ye have received, freely give” (Mathew 10:8). Everything we have came from God and it did so freely. His unconditional love for all mankind teaches us how to give correctly. God loves us, not because we’re good or faithful but because He created us in His own image and wants us to be like Him. His love for us is completely selfless as shown by the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus, to save us.
Often we give because it makes us feel good in the end. We give because we feel we have to give back something to society. We give because the Church, or some other authority, requires us to do so. We give because we simply can’t stand the sense of guilt when we see others starving, suffering and dying while we have three square meals a day and maintain a roof over our heads. In all these cases, it is more about us and how we feel than the subject of the giving and that takes out the essence and the power in giving.
The power in giving is the ability to give for no reason other than simply and
genuinely wanting to give. We sincerely and fully empathize with the recipient. Our focus remains on the receiver and we expect absolutely nothing in return. This is often easier said than done in practice and we need to carefully examine ourselves to ensure that we do not have any hidden motives that weaken the essence of our giving.
Give more and as frequently as possible. But, most importantly, always purify your act of giving in other to unlock the essence in giving and experience the full power of giving.
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