“Thanks for the Privilege of Being Able to Give”

We all have been told at one time or another “It is better to give than to receive.” When I was growing up this was often around the issue of my taking part of my hard earned allowance and yard care money and giving it to the church, a missionary, or other “noble” cause. It also often came to be spoken when I was trying to buy gifts for others and would complain about the fact that they didn’t give me anything or what they gave me was a lot less expensive then what I was giving. I have to confess that for me as a kid giving was not nearly as good as receiving.

This all changed however when I went on my first mission trip. It was as an associate pastor whose tasks included youth ministry. We decided a youth mission trip was a good thing and set about planning one for Seattle. One of the missions we set up was helping to prepare, serve and clean up a meal for street teens. A part of this experience was sitting with the street youth and eating together. As the kids filed in and got their food one of the kids in my youth group came up to me looking like he had seen a ghost and said, “Tim, I just saw Mike the older brother of my friend. I knew he was gone but didn’t know he was homeless.” I had him point Mike out to me and I went and sat with him and told him we were from Salem. He got a bit nervous but I told him we wouldn’t say anything about finding him if that was what he wanted. After we talked for a while he wrote a note and gave it to me and asked that I get it to his mom. When I called her to ask if I could bring the note by she simply asked me to mail it and I did. I never found out what happened to Mike but this event brought home to me the truth of that old saying, it truly is better to give then to receive. I was able to give Mike some comfort and his mom a connection. I gave my time and effort and didn’t ask for or expect anything in return. Being able to give was a gift.

Steve Goodier, an ordained minister and motivational author and presenter writes: “Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, and we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.” This is the gift of being able to give or generosity as it is commonly known. Wealth isn’t something that you hold on to, it is something you use and if you are a faithful person, partnering with God to transform lives and the world your wealth is used to bring about this transformation.

So I ask you, have you ever thought about how great a gift it is to give to others? Where have you been generous and why? Where have you withheld your generosity and why? Can you belief that giving is better than receiving, that giving is a gift? In our society we are taught to take, to ask for more and to hoard. We hear the message of take; take, take and we see the images of wealth as having more and more. Can we see in acts of generosity hope for a different way to be? Can we allow giving to be a meaningful gift? Can we see our wealth as a call to give and giving as a gift to us?

The Dalai Lama is often quoted as saying, “Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.” We who claim to be children of God, we are to live our lives with an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness. We are to take whatever we have and see it as a resource in our ongoing efforts to bring about the commonwealth of God. Faithful people recognize how wealthy they are. Faithful people want to share with others so that everyone has enough. Being able to give is a gift we have been given and one we need to use as faithful partners of God in order to transform our world.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NRSV). It is a gift to give. And once you realize this then it becomes an amazing thing to offer your treasures, resources, time and talents because you are set free to enjoy the gift of giving. It is never about what you have. It is always about what you do with what you have. It’s that old song “It’s just like a magic penny; hold it tight and you won’t have any. Lend, spend it, and you’ll so many they’ll roll all over the floor.” Or as Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet: “You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving." The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.”

We know the simple truth of wealth; it only has meaning and significance if we use it to better the world. Another truth we all know is that everyone in this room is extremely wealthy. We have enough and more than enough even if we don’t have much money we still have riches beyond measure. And the other truth we know, having it isn’t what’s so wonderful, using it is what brings us joy. I’m not trying to justify wealth, what I’m trying to do is say that it is in giving that we are blessed. It is in sharing that we find our true selves. It is the gift that is giving that can be one of the best tools we can use in our labors to transform the world as we join our efforts with God’s. Once we can stop worrying about whether or not we have enough and instead concentrate on living a generous life we will realize that we have all we really need.

So today celebrating the gift of being able to give, thanking God for the generous heart we have and for the many places and opportunities we have to be generous with the gifts God gives us. To be a Christian Steward means being generous with what you have even if you don’t have much. Faithful living includes being generous because giving brings life. I have enough and more than enough. I have been given the gift of giving. As a partner of God I am to give; thank you God for the gift of being able to give.