GIVING OR RECEIVING, WHICH DO YOU PREFER

SCRIPTURE:
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, 
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. 
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 
(Luke 6:38)

MEDITATION:
We all like to receive gifts, but do we enjoy giving them more?
Whenever we receive a gift, 
we have a certain amount of pressure to respond appropriately.
If we love the gift, how can we adequately express how much we like it?
If we do not like the gift, what can we say and hide our disappointment?

However, if we give gifts to others, we eliminate that kind of pressure.
We get to enjoy watching the recipient open the gift 
and hopefully be delighted.
If we give with expectations of certain reactions or gifts in return, 
then we are giving for all the wrong reasons.

God has given us so much with no strings attached.
His gifts are from a heart full of love.
God is a gift-giver! 
And He always knows the exact perfect gift to give. 
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of 
the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

Let's unwrap today some of the awesome gifts He has given us.
He's given us “physical life”. 
"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into 
his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." 
(Genesis 2:7)
He’s given us “eternal life”. 
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever 
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

He's given us “family”. 
"God sets the lonely in families ..." (Psalm 68:6)
He's given us “wisdom”. 
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all 
without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

He's given us “peace”. 
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." (John 14:27)
He's given us “joy”. 
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering,
you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." 
(1 Thessalonians 1:6)

He's given us “rest”. 
"Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary 
and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" (Matthew 11:28)
He's given us “a personal counselor”. 
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, 
who will never leave you." (John 14:16)

He's given us “an inheritance”. 
"...you know that you will receive an inheritance 
from the Lord as a reward." (Colossians 3:24)
 He's given us “freedom”. 
"God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit 
God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable 
to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our 
freedom." (1 Corinthians 1:30)

In return for all these glorious gifts, God simply wants us to receive and respond 
with thankfulness and a heart that is ready to emulate His gracious nature.
As our Heavenly Father, He established “giving” 
as something to be mimicked by the members of His family.

ACTION:
Are you a “taker” as the world encourages people to be?
Or, are you a “giver” as God encourages His children to be?
When is the last time you gave someone a gift with no expectations 
of their thankfulness or a gift from them in return?

Giving does not have to be anything material.
Sometimes the greatest gift is the gift of encouragement.
You can give someone a kind word, a listening ear, words of encouragement, 
a caring hug, or any other non-material gifts, 
such as doing something for others.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your graciousness to me. I praise You for 
Your generosity! Help me to freely receive Your gifts without having 
feelings of guilt for not being able to give You gifts in return. Teach me 
to value giving as a pattern of one of Your characteristics and to look for 
ways to give to others. Show me how to trade in my selfishness for 
selflessness.”