“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35 NLT)
The blessings of God are never ends in themselves. And if we use a blessing selfishly, the blessing actually turns into a curse. The blessings of God are always a means to an end. And the end is blessing others. We are blessed to bless.
One of the turning points of my life came the day I stopped setting income goals and started setting giving goals. It was a paradigm shift. I finally came to terms with the fact that making money is the way you make a living and giving it away is the way you make a life. True joy is found on the giving end of life. Does that mean I don’t struggle with greed? Nope. Greed is a nine-headed monster. And it has nine lives. Does that mean I don’t want to make more money? Nope. It simple means that on my good days I live to give. My motivation to make more is so I can give more. John Wesley may have said it best: “Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
-- Mark Batterson in “PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”
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