“In everything I did, I (Paul) showed you that by this
kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus
himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ( Acts 20:35)
There is some question as to whether or not Jesus really said these words captured by Paul in the book of Acts. A theologian’s response was:
“You
are correct in noting that this saying of Jesus quoted by Paul is not found
anywhere in the four Gospels. This is a
rare instance of a saying of Jesus not found in the canonical Gospels. Does the
fact that it isn’t stated in the Gospels mean that it isn't reliably from the
lips of Jesus? I don't think so. The Apostle John said at the end of his Gospel
(John 21:25): "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I
suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would
be written."
Obviously, this is exaggeration
for the sake of making a point, but it means that Jesus did many more things
than were written, and if he did many more things, it is reasonable to conclude
that he said more things.
When we apply this verse in our lives I think we can easily agree with
Jesus and Paul saying: “It is (definitely) more blessed to give than to
receive.” I believe as we grow older it makes more sense because we hopefully
mature as Christ-followers becoming like Him in our priorities, principles,
purpose, and practice. I think it’s the
reason when we are younger that we tend to give in and listen to the sinful
nature and its selfish desires rather than focus on God and others (I am
third).
I recently had a confirming experience with our NSBC high school and
college students that brought it full circle and there is no better time to
remember than here at Christmas. We took
our students down to Beautiful Feet Outreach Ministries in Fort Worth for a
Christmas outreach project. I shouldn’t ever be surprised when I go down there
just how special a time we are going to have “giving” instead of
“receiving”. It is always such a
pleasant time and fresh reminder as God moves in and through you to remind you
of His love and then allow you to show it to others.
We joined several churches from the DFW Metroplex in a caroling hayride
through some “rough” streets of Fort Worth.
Going down there can naturally bring up fear, uncertainty, and challenge
due to cultural stereotypes but once there you feel a peace and purpose that
only comes from knowing you are in the middle of God’s plan and purpose. (By the way, there’s no better place to be!)
Expecting a few other churches and a couple of hundred people to go out
on the streets we were surprised to find over a thousand people from several
churches who had come to share God’s love through: door to door ministry with
caroling, sharing of presents with kids and adults in the homes, praying over
the families and sharing the gospel through a reminder of the Christmas story
and Jesus being the “reason for the season”.
The people we met were so grateful, humble, and a blessing to us as they
received the Christmas love, gifts, and ministry with an open heart and
mind. I can personally share I was blown
away with their receptivity and desire to minister back to us with kindness,
openness, and a desire to share their blessing with others. Some shared personal prayer requests with us
but most felt compelled to pray for others, especially those touched by hurt
and tragedy such as Hurricane Sandy and the families hurting in Newtown, CT.
God gave us a special experience that evening and reminded me that He is
in control, brings “peace and goodwill toward mankind”, and is the author and
ultimate in understanding what it truly means “to give is better than to
receive”. The people we ministered to
didn’t have a lot materially but they sure gave a lot away that night that had
nothing to do with self or things of this world. They gave a smile, a hug, and a handshake. They gave a “God bless you”, “Merry
Christmas”, and a “Thank You”. But more
importantly was that we were able to give and receive Jesus that night!
None of our group had this specific Christmas experience previously but
upon completion felt that we never wanted to go another year without being a
part of this ministry whether it was in Fort Worth, Weatherford, or wherever
God may take us. May we take this
generous, Christ-filled holiday experience and share it with others wherever
the Lord takes us in 2013. We have a
message and it is worth giving and receiving it! Let’s give others the opportunity to do the
same.
“The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Submitted By Jim Garner
