Daily Bread - DEC/01/07

Acts 20:35 - I have showed everyone of you how that laboring you should give aid to the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Although, this saying is not recorded in the gospels it must have been one of the more popular sayings of the oral tradition as Paul speaks in such a way that it was common knowledge among those at Ephesus. Paul was not only an example in preaching the gospel in faith and power but also in working so that he could participate in taking care of those who were poor and unable to provide for themselves (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8; Acts 18:2; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 9:12,15; 2 Corinthians 11:7; 12:13). It was Paul's desire that everyone see their responsibility to support those who were unable to take care of themselves (Ephesians 4:28; Galatians 6:2). Paul's concept of both the ministers and the saints was that they were supposed to be servants and givers.

Jesus came to serve rather than to be served and to give His life as a ransom for all (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:5-14). By the example that Jesus gave we may conclude that servitude is one of the primary requirements of a legitimate ministry (Matthew 20:28; Mark 9:35; 10:43-44). The needs of others were constantly on His heart. I can see Jesus not only continually ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of people but to their financial needs as well. Evidently, it was so common for Jesus to provide money to the needs of the poor that on the night He was betrayed the disciples thought that Jesus wanted Judas to take some money to the poor (John 13:29).

Why is it considered more of a blessing to give rather than to receive? Do we really find it so? When we give our praise and adoration to God for all that He has done for us does it seem better than when He gives us the many everyday blessing and answers to our prayers? I believe that we find the answer to this in the realms of love. A person has their first great Christmas when they watch their children rip open their presents on Christmas morning. When we find ourselves loving someone more than we love ourselves we have stepped over into an unselfish realm of love. In this realm of love it is more blessed to give than to receive. By the Spirit of God we can yield to this kind of love that esteems everyone better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). By yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit we are able to experience this glorious unselfish love that moved the Father to give His only Begotten Son for us and that moved Jesus to willingly lay His life down so that we can live. Then on top of that we also discover that it is through giving that we receive miracle provision. As we give God opens up the heavens and pours out more than we can receive (Malachi 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10). He also causes men to heap into our bosom, all as we discover the wonderful blessing of giving. God will take what we have given and multiply it insomuch that He will cause all grace to abound to us and again we will discover the blessedness of giving (2 Corinthians 9:8-11; Proverbs 28:27).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org