Is it more blessed to give than to receive? I think so.

This time of year, we tend to spend a lot of time thinking about “giving and getting”. We worry about what to get the kids, will the wife or husband like their present, what should we get Mom and Dad, how about Aunt Suzy, and then we must think about the mailman, our church family, little Billy’s teacher. At some point, we wonder where does the list end. Without some common sense and discipline, the list will never end. Then most people realize that their good intentions and well-wishing will be cut short because their bank account cannot finance the list. Many folks live on their credit card and depending on when the last holiday season was finally paid off will determine how much they can go into debt again. It is easy to see and understand why the holiday season creates so much stress and why so many people give into depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that increases ten to twenty percent and is associated with the holiday season. Maya Oppenheim describes the holidays as “the hardest time of the year, not a year goes by when we don’t see a seasonal rise in incidents reported to the police.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Some people teach that we should “give to get.” I agree with this providing we are talking about something other than pure finances. I see the rewards of giving every day in many simple ways that I use to not see at all. I finally learned that giving someone a simple smile, saying thank you, or opening a door for someone will get me a smile and positive reaction almost every time. I cannot put this in the bank or buy groceries with it but it is of great value. Ironically the more I give the more I truly get back. I have also seen that when I continue to invest my efforts in a positive way that eventually I will benefit in a monetary way. People want to work with and do business with someone that is positive and makes them feel good (of Value). I really believe that if you sincerely start counting your blessings you will soon lose count by the sheer number we experience each day.
Recently I took part in visiting some “shut-ins’ and realized that sometimes the biggest gift you can possibly give someone is the simple gift of your time and attention. Since then I have tried to take just a few minutes with each person that I have encountered and I have found that most people appreciate that shared time. Whether they think about it or not most people realize time is precious and is the one commodity that you cannot get back. R.G. LeTourneau, a Christian businessman, once said, “I shovel out and God shovels in – but God’s shovel is always bigger.” Brian Kluth, a Pastor, reminds us that “We should never ‘give to get,’ but we can trust that as we give, our God will meet our needs, sometimes in very special ways. Instances arise when it makes no financial sense to give to the Lord. Yet, God wants us to give at times with the realization that we are totally dependent on Him to meet our basic needs and desires.”
Proverbs 11:24-25 says it best, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”