On my walk today, (I wish we had been together, so I'll just share everything I would have told you!) I think about the verse from Acts 20:35 (when Paul quotes Jesus) that claims, "It is more blessed to give than receive." I start to wonder why this might be so. As I think about my life, I know that everything I've given of myself freely, purely, with love, expecting nothing, has come back to me abundantly.
It's a spiritual law that I'm starting to understand. I look back on all those times I behaved in order to get something--whether more money, more attention, or more anything--and I realize that these things have all disintegrated. They do not last. They do not bring a blessing.
Things that truly remain and bring all the joy are things I've given just because of love. When the motivation is love, something changes. It's a key to unlock unimaginable blessings that far surpass the lesser goals of money, attention, prestige, reputation, security, comfort or any goal that ultimately builds a kingdom made of vapor.
Dig even deeper into this spiritual economy, and you'll find that not only is giving more blessed than receiving, but giving in secret earns a special reward from God (Matthew 6).
What will this reward be? What comes back into your empty hands? I have found that it's always joy, peace, community, and a richer relationship with God. This is more precious than anything you could earn or enjoy on earth.
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