Giving is Receiving
By: Missionary Team
Generosity is one of the most selfish things in the world. That’s right; generosity is exactly what everyone thinks it isn’t. In the words of Denzel Washington, “The most selfish thing you can do in the world is help someone else.” Whether you’re being generous with your time, your money, your skills, or even your heart, there’s usually some kind of reward
In the case of monetary generosity, there is potential for a tax receipt or the satisfaction of knowing that you are benefitting the world or yourself in some way. If you are generous with your time, you typically gain a friendship or a life lesson. When you use your gifts to benefit another, in return you typically get compliments or sometimes even payment. Even in a generic sense, “when we experience ourselves as givers, we receive a deep and enduring affirmation of our value to others.
One genre of generosity that is often overlooked is vulnerability. In being vulnerable, you are generous with your wounds. This is more than words or things, but your very self on the line. In being generous in this way, others have the power to hurt you or to let you help heal them - in a lot of situations it could even help heal you.
After a bit of reflection, I have found that I am most generous when I think I will receive approval or love. At that point, it becomes self-serving and is no longer generous.
The other night, the Lord spoke something to my heart: “Everyone will let you down, but that is no reason to not love them. Love them with everything you have, but refrain from attaching yourself to the love they might be able to offer you.” The only way you can truly be generous is when you expect nothing - actually nothing - in return. Even Jesus spoke to this saying, “But I say to you Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44 RSVCE)
The only way to freely give with no expectation of return is when we understand the Love God has for us. It sounds corny and out of left field, but it’s true. In understanding God’s Love for us, we know that there is nothing to gain because we already have everything. We could go about life searching for other people’s love and approval, but this would never be enough for us. Only Christ’s Love can truly fill us.
