Show All » 2010/04 » The Power of Giving
Wednesday, April 21, 2010The Power of Giving
What would you do if you have this view in front of you?
I am writing my blog in this awesome beach because I was invited to be the guest speaker of our high school. What a treat, right? Well, it would have been a real treat if it was an all expense paid trip but it wasn't. It was an all expense trip!
When I said yes to this invitation, I knew that I am going to be here to give and nothing else. I knew I was going to pay for my airline ticket, I was going to pay for my food during the whole trip and I am going to bring my own pocket money.
You cannot blame me if I say, "Before I came to this place I was clouded with fear and worries."
I was worried because who is going to take care of my two boys while mom and dad are away. I feared that one or more of my clients may need my assistance while I'm away. I was anxious about my work after my vacation and I was concerned about my expenses during our trip and so on.
These things are enough to spoil my trip, right?
But I could not understand myself as to why am I so worry free and relaxed while writing this blog?
Is it the beach? Is it the food that I ate or I'm just too crazy not to worry...
Whatever it is that I'm feeling, there is only one source of this wonderful experience – that is the grace of God. Nothing else.
How can anyone enjoy God's gifts when your mind is clouded with things to worry about? How can you calm yourself when you know that a big wave of things to worry is right in front of you?
Giving, especially when you know that you're not going to get anything back was never easy for me. When I give, I made sure that I could get something back. That was how I understood things.
As an investor, when you invest on something you expect a return on investment. It's the same concept.
However, in our spiritual lives, the concept of giving is totally different - you give and expect nothing in return. God takes care of the returns not you. Many are scared to try this concept because the returns are not tangible.
In Malachi 3:10, God challenged the Israelites to test him on giving tithes. "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."
In The Ultimate Gift, Red Stevens explains, "Conventional wisdom would say that the less you give, the more you have. The converse is true. The more you give, the more you have. Abundance creates the ability to give; giving creates abundance. This principle is true in every area of your life."
Earlier in my life, I had very few acts of goodness when I practiced the act of giving. That's because true giving is completely selfless. I was selfish.
True giving comes with no strings attached. Focusing on the needs of another while leaving your own goals and desires behind. For me, this was not easy or cheap.
As part of my speech during the graduation ceremony, I told the graduates that one of the secrets to be successful in life is to give back and share your success to others.
Just to give them an idea, I told them how much I spent on airline ticket, the food expense, and the gifts that we have to bring and so on. It's not about bragging how much I spent during my trip but I was bragging to them how much I'm willing to spend to be there with them so I can give back something to my beloved alumni.
To go there to be able to give back in my own little way by giving them an inspiring speech which combines personal empowerment and spiritual involvement in the community and assuring each and every one of them that there is something out there for them. Something really big!
Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. "
Giving reminds us of how blessed we are and how easily we can make a real impact on those around us.
Once you experience the gift of giving by helping someone around you with your talents, your resources or with something as beneficial as your time, you will be forever grateful to yourself that you have learned to do it. A lot of people are scared to share whatever they have because they thought they are in the losing end. Pleeease!
Scripture says, "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." (1 Timothy 6:6-7, 17-19)
Giving is a simple, easy gesture that can make a world of difference.
It's the giving part that produces grace. Giving even when it hurts, and yet you feel as if it costs you nothing.
By the way, a big thank you for my auntie Fely who made us feel at home during our stay in the Agua Seda Beach Resort in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
God is the greatest!
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Show All » 2010/04 » Don't Give Up
Thursday, April 01, 2010Don't Give Up
Have you ever experienced reading a story which you have read more than 100 times and you think you know everything what the story says and when you read it again for the 101st time then you see something so striking and new that it makes you wonder, how in the world did I miss this?
It may be you read it so fast that you've missed the message of the story. Or perhaps it's because you heard it from a speaker and he gives emphasis at a place where you normally wouldn't and BAM! It hits you.
The great thing about it is that it sheds light and leads you to discover several things on top of what you just found out.
This happened to me a couple of days ago when I was working on this blog.
For 33 years I have been reading the story of our Lord's resurrection, it was only now that I found out something new (maybe not for others) in this story.
"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?' Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large." (Mark 16:1-4)
Did you notice something peculiar in this verse?
Before I tell you what I found out, let's examine what's happening.
First, three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus.
Who are these three women?
They were the same women who were in Calvary during the crucifixion (Mark 15:40). They were the last to leave Calvary (Mark 15:47) and the first to arrive at the tomb.
They were there to come to anoint the dead body of Jesus and probably to say goodbye to the one man who gave reason to their hopes.
Regardless of the lost hope, what could have motivated them to wake up early in the morning to go to the tomb?
I mean, really, what's the use?
Is it duty?
Is this what they call devotion?
What can they expect from a dead person?
One thing is for sure, they were not there to ask for something or get something. They are not going to the tomb to ask for a miracle either. They are going to the tomb to give. Period.
There are times when we are called to love or to serve or to give, expecting nothing in return. There will be times when we are called to give money to people who will never say thank you, to love those who cannot love us, to forgive those who won't forgive us, to come early and stay late in our gatherings or in our church even when no one else notices.
You are willing to give everything even when it hurts.
I believe this kind of love can be achieved if you have an intimate, personal relationship with the other person. This is what our Lord Jesus expects from us. This is not a call to a program, or a system of religion, nor to a church, and certainly not to the discipler, or some human leader - it is a call to discipleship.
The three women knew a task had to be done. They did not wait for others to do it but they decided to do it.
It is easy to give up, lose hope and be grumpy if you do not love, believe or worse if you have another agenda for serving another person or even serving our God through your church or community.
If one of the three women had a shallow relationship with Jesus, probably right in the middle of their journey she would start arguing and questioning the other two by saying, "What for? Jesus will not recognize my actions anymore, He's dead. I'm tired of being the only one who cares, it's always me. I'm just wasting my time here. I'll just go home. I'm not going to get anything anyway."
Whether or not one of them or all of them thought of quitting, I'm glad they didn't.
In this story, we know something they didn't. We know they were motivated by their love that even though our Lord Jesus is already dead and would no longer recognize their actions; they still did what they had to do – to anoint Him. They continued their journey even when they knew they are going to a dead end. And since we know the end of the story, we know that God was smiling at them throughout their journey and thrilled at their devotion.
Our Lord God is also smiling at us when he sees our continuous effort to keep standing even though we face discouragement in our journey through life, even though we are busy we still take time to help others, even though our financial resources are drained but we still give – simply because it is the "wise" thing to do.
Secondly, the three women asked this question - "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"
Okay, what happened here?
Maybe the three women did not plan about this. They should have contacted at least one of the disciples to help them roll away the stone.
But here's the thing - hope does not easily die especially for a person who knows Jesus. I think that's what these three women had. That's what kept them walking. Although they knew this is going to be a concern, it did not stop them in their journey. They kept walking towards the tomb.
And finally, the peculiar thing that happened in this story, "they saw that the stone had been rolled away."
Why did I say peculiar? If you read the Gospel of John after the resurrection it says, "So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." (John 20:19)
After the resurrection, Jesus can walk through walls.
So, why is the stone rolled away from the tomb? Was it for Jesus to get out of the tomb? For the past 33 years, that's what I always thought. I always assumed that the stone was rolled away for Jesus to come out.
If not for Jesus, for whom then was the stoned moved?
Going back to the concern of the three women when they were walking towards the tomb – "who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"
The stone was rolled away not for Jesus – but for the women. Their concern was addressed way ahead before they reached the problem.
This is a bonus - it was not rolled away for Jesus to come out but so the women could see in!
God does that for the faithful.
God loves to awe us.
Just when the womb gets too old for babies, Sarah gets pregnant. Just when the failure is too great for grace, David is pardoned. Just when the road to the tomb brings sadness and uncertainty, Mary and Mary experienced the resurrection of Jesus Christ first hand!
The lesson? Don't give up.
Is the road long? Don't stop.
Don't quit. For if you do you may miss the answer to your prayers.
Your closed tomb could be your finances, your broken relationship, your broken spirit, your addiction, your married life, your work, your family, your son who does not behave properly, your daughter who ignores you or anything. For all we know at this moment he may be telling his angels to roll the stone.
God is smiling at you.
Advance Happy Easter to all!
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