Blessed to Give

I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35

To me, this is an interesting verse.  Mainly because if I type the words attributed to Jesus here into any Bible search, they do not come forward.  These words of Jesus are not written in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.  So I have to assume that someone taught Paul that Jesus said this.  It makes complete sense to me that there were many teachings and acts done by Jesus that were not capable of being written down and the Bible actually says such a thing in John 20:30-31 when it says “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name.”  This leads me to consider and in common sense know that many things were not written.  But John carries this topic further into the actions of Jesus in John 21:25 where he writes, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written”.

I read in a devotion by David Jeremiah that this is a significant verse.  His point was that we are good at receiving.  We were made to receive His love, receive His free gift, and to receive the Holy Spirit.  When we give it is in response to Him within us, especially if we give to those who have done nothing for it.  When we receive, it is us being us.  When we give, it is us being Him.  Therefore, it is more blessed to give because that is when you are being like Jesus.

This thought of giving is also contained in the message of Jesus that is considered the Golden Rule.  He says in Matthew 7:12, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  The entirety of the Old Testament and all that the prophets taught is contained in this simple thought of doing to others as you would like for them to do to you.  That’s a little mind blowing.  But continuing in our thoughts about giving and receiving, we like to receive gifts so we should give gifts.  Thus, it is more blessed to give. 

It doesn’t take long for anyone to realize how giving can affect their heart.  It is when I have been a part of giving of work effort or an actual gift to help others that my heart is the most affected.  When I see the joy in another’s heart at getting something they never expected or could have believed possible, it fills me and cracks my eyes to tears.  And it is much more blessed to be a part of that than to receive anything.