We’ve all heard people say it is more blessed to give than to receive. Many of us have probably said it. I mean, doesn’t it sound like the right thing to say? But more than being the “right” thing to say, there is something that rings true about it. In fact, most of us can probably recall an event, action or moment where we experienced this truth and genuinely felt that we were more blessed to give than to receive.
Recently I had the opportunity to witness one of these moments. I traveled with a team from the Bay Area who went to serve for a week near Camalu, Mexico. I was able to watch as this group gave of their time and energy serving food to children, caring for the elderly, listening to the stories of those in an addiction recovery, building homes and more.
Each night the team would gather around a fire pit and share their impressions from the day. Over and over again, I heard people around the fire say things like, “I came to serve others, but I feel like I’m the one being blessed,” or “That was a long day, but my heart is full and I feel energized.” Why is that? It’s because something good happens in us when we choose to live open handed and generous toward others.
Beyond the spiritual benefits of giving that our interfaith community has seen firsthand, numerous studies also confirm that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Those who give of their time and wealth for unselfish reasons live longer, live happier, have a greater sense of purpose and experience increased social connectedness.
However, studies also show that the more Americans have, the less they give percentage wise. Personally, I’ve found that the more I have, the more I find myself thinking it is all for me and the easier it is for me to start putting my hope in wealth instead of Jesus. And when my hope is in my wealth, I start living closed handed, believing I need to keep everything for myself.
So how do we stay open handed? We have to be intentional and pre-decide to be generous people.
Most Americans give spontaneously and while giving spontaneously isn’t bad, we tend to give more and have a greater impact when we decide in advance how we will be generous. When we pre-decide how we will give our time and finances, we manage those aspects of our life differently. If I’ve pre-decided to give my time, I organize my calendar to make sure I have time to give. If there are giving opportunities I’m passionate about, I manage my finances in a way that keeps a percentage of my finances available to give.
As we enjoy the holiday season and look forward to 2023, let’s consider how we can be intentional in our generosity with our time, talent and treasure. When we are generous towards others, it aligns our hearts with God and both the giver and receiver are blessed.
Will Sawkins is the Lead Pastor of Community Christian with campuses in Morgan Hill and Campbell. He can be reached at wi**@co*****************.us .
