The Gift of Giving

This last week I was asked to be featured as a guest blogger for a friend who started an organization called the DAR Project.  I was so encouraged by the offer, and happy to share a few of my own thoughts and experiences on the subject of giving.  Please check out their blog when you have some time! http://darproject.wordpress.com/

The Gift of Giving-

What happens when we give, especially when we give because we know it is in our heart to give?  Something happens, I don’t think anyone will argue that.  The difficulty comes when we try to understand what this gift is that we receive from giving.

During my last two months of traveling my perspective on the subject of ‘change’ has been challenged, and with the challenge came many questions about giving… how should someone give, when should someone give, and even what can we give?  Since I began this trip, I rarely have more to give other than my time, talents, or friendship.  Everything I own fits into my backpack; and when it comes to giving money, I think it needs to be done wisely in order to not create dependence.  Yet in many of my experiences and conversations, I have constantly been reminded that everyone has something to give. 

More and more I feel that in my giving I find myself on the receiving end, instead of simply being the giver.  Even though many of the people I have been blessed to meet have no shoes, no electricity, or no proper place to use the restroom, most of them realize that they all have something to give, and give from whatever they have.  

The trick then is understanding what you have to give, and how you should give it.  We have so much more to give than we realize, and many of us are fully aware of how much we could give yet we don’t.  But what if the challenge wasn’t to give in order to meet the physical needs of others?   Because in my experiences I do not believe my perspective on giving has truly challenge me to understand the humanity we share.  Instead, what if the goal was to fully know what you are giving to, and to express the love that inspired it…  That’s where the giving becomes the gift.  It should be much more than a watered down philanthropic idea of “giving” or “supporting”.  Instead, giving should become, or remain, more about love, care, compassion, and understanding.  

Understanding giving doesn’t mean you have to go to the place to meet the people receiving your gift, or that you can’t donate to a person or a cause you’ve just met.  I believe giving should be as meaningful as receiving, and that is what I hope to explain.  When we give, let’s not give without emotion, or assume we know what other people need.  Let us pursue the gift that comes from giving, the gift given in full understanding that those receiving the gifts are just as much human as you and I, the gift that has the potential to truly change people because it was done with intentions founded in love, and the gift that tells people just how valuable they are.  

We will probably never know the extent of our influence, especially when we give gifts to people we haven’t met.  I do not write to discourage people from being generous, but it is my hope that we pursue the gift that comes from giving, and that we invite other people to experience what we discover.  How?  We start with the desire to know why it feels good to be generous and to question what giving should look like.    It is my hope that we don’t limit what giving might look like, but instead that we pursue all the possibilities of what giving could look like.  Remember, giving is not made possible because there is a need. Giving is made possible because we all have something to give, that’s the gift.

Freedom, Money, or Both?

Yesterday I shared a cup of coffee and good conversation with a complete stranger, but our conversation didn’t feel that way. Granted, this was an arranged get together...  but encouraging non the less.

We talked briefly about my upcoming pilgrimage to pursue deeper relationships with those from other cultures and my desire to connect people in America to greater needs around the world.  After a few encouraging words and a little advice, our conversation shifted to American culture.  Both of us agreed that we had a “secret” desire to see a less distracted culture, one where we do not constantly witness people acquiring stuff to make us happy or more comfortable. 

Then he said something that was so simple, yet so profound. I had to write it down. 
Freedom is what money creates in our society.

I was immediately brought back to my notes from last week’s sermon on Matthew 6.  There was so much truth behind these words that I actually became a little overwhelmed.  This idea that I have struggled with about American culture being a distracted culture, seems more accurately defined as a culture that is pursuing “freedom”.  The more “responsibilities” we have, the more money we need in order to receive freedom from those responsibilities… vacations, cars, clothes, and the like.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… …For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

The eye is a lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 6:19-24

One of the reasons we are sooo distracted by a consumer market is because we desire freedom.  There is more to it, but I strongly believe this to be a large part of why we struggle with stuff.  If I could only have “this”, then “that” would be better.  We are looking for freedom in things and money, when really it can only come from God.  It is not only with money, though.  This is also true for many areas of life.  Work, relationships, and achievements are often pursuits of what only God can fulfill… security, love, and affirmation.   

Do we still need money?  Well, that is an interesting thought; and I want so badly to say, “No”.   Billions of people are living on much less per day than you or I ($2 roughly), but when examined closely it is all assigned a dollar value.  Yes, the world operates on the exchanging or trading of some form of currency, but Jesus is quick to warn us about what or whom we serve.

You cannot serve both God and Money.

The more we turn our focus [eyes] towards trusting in something [Someone] greater than ourselves, and our own power, we can find freedom.  Likely in the form of less stuff, and more sacrifice.  What was the model the Christ and his followers laid out for us?  They gave it all…  they trusted Him with everything they had...

I feel like I have had to say this on multiple postings, but please do not come to the conclusion that I believe possessions to be bad.  This is not that case.  I know that great good can come from those who God has given much.  I am not asking everyone reading this to sell everything (however, if God puts it on your heart I won’t stop you).  For me, I need constant accountability about where I spend my resources, because I have not been given much, and my desire to do “good” is much bigger than my bank account. 

So here is my question for all of us, how are we pursuing freedom? 

Are there needs, locally or globally, that we are ignoring in our own desire to be free?  Do we need to entrust our desires for freedom to Someone else?  Or, are we trying to serve both God and Money?