My blog post this day is a tad late, but with good reason. You see, a loved one dear to my wife and I wound up with an unexpected hospitalization. The good news is that this individual is now home and recuperating; but the experience of support meant that my wife and I had to set our personal agendas aside.
As I sat in the hospital emergency room, I thought about a sermon I once read by Herb Hodges titled "The Lost Beatitude". In it, he explores the words of Jesus in Acts 20:35 in which the Master said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
As a way of illustrating our Lord’s point, Rev. Hodges employs the following illustration:
You may remember the story of the magic vest. It was a wonderful garment. All one had to do was to put it on and make a wish to have the wish come true. But there was one disadvantage — every time the wearer made a selfish wish the vest drew up a bit and became a little more binding and uncomfortable.
But the wearer of the magic garment refused to be warned. He kept on wishing for things only for himself until by and by he was choked to death, choked by the deadly tragedy — getting without giving.
Getters build no churches — but givers do. Getters launch no crusades for righteousness — but givers do. Getters build no hospitals, establish no orphanages, endow no colleges, set up on foundations — but givers do. It is giving that transforms our receiving into a blessing.
Let’s be honest. The Emergency Room waiting area can be a stressful place. Many are there waiting to be seen by a doctor. Others are there waiting to hear about the latest status of their loved ones. In such circumstances, the norm is for people to focus only on themselves at the expense of others.
Yet, over the ensuing two days, I witnessed countless doctors, nurses, assistants, technicians, administrators, clerks, and additional personnel give of themselves "above and beyond" in order to minister to those in need. Many of them had worked long, hard, and full shifts, and had every right to be irritable or non-responsive as a result. Instead, they went out of their way to show compassion.
What is more, those with the jobs viewed by the world as least desirable seemed to express the greatest level of care. Those "merely" delivering meals from the kitchen, cleaning the bathrooms, gathering the trash, and/or changing the linens seemed to go out of their way to be helpful and encouraging.
Later in the above-referenced sermon, Rev. Hodges adds these thoughts:
Did you ever call out loudly in a place where there was a loud echo? You can get any reply you want in a place like that. If you speak kindly, you will receive a kind answer. If you speak harshly, you will receive a harsh answer. Life is like that. Life is an echo.
Generally speaking, we get just what we give. If you say bitterly, “This is a cruel world — nobody ever did me a kindness,” that is another way of saying, “I have lived in a needy world and have never done a kindness to any human soul.”
Generally speaking, if we give the world the best we have, the best will come back to us. Jesus was speaking quite literally when He said, "It makes one happier to give than to get."
My wife and I have been inspired by this whole experience to think less of ourselves and more of others. That is to say, we have been reminded that it is indeed "more blessed to give than to receive".
Perhaps you should ponder this same principle.
SOURCE:
https://herbhodges.com/written-material/. Search for “Acts 20 35 The Lost Beatitude”.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/acts/20-35.htm.
As I sat in the hospital emergency room, I thought about a sermon I once read by Herb Hodges titled "The Lost Beatitude". In it, he explores the words of Jesus in Acts 20:35 in which the Master said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
As a way of illustrating our Lord’s point, Rev. Hodges employs the following illustration:
You may remember the story of the magic vest. It was a wonderful garment. All one had to do was to put it on and make a wish to have the wish come true. But there was one disadvantage — every time the wearer made a selfish wish the vest drew up a bit and became a little more binding and uncomfortable.
But the wearer of the magic garment refused to be warned. He kept on wishing for things only for himself until by and by he was choked to death, choked by the deadly tragedy — getting without giving.
Getters build no churches — but givers do. Getters launch no crusades for righteousness — but givers do. Getters build no hospitals, establish no orphanages, endow no colleges, set up on foundations — but givers do. It is giving that transforms our receiving into a blessing.
Let’s be honest. The Emergency Room waiting area can be a stressful place. Many are there waiting to be seen by a doctor. Others are there waiting to hear about the latest status of their loved ones. In such circumstances, the norm is for people to focus only on themselves at the expense of others.
Yet, over the ensuing two days, I witnessed countless doctors, nurses, assistants, technicians, administrators, clerks, and additional personnel give of themselves "above and beyond" in order to minister to those in need. Many of them had worked long, hard, and full shifts, and had every right to be irritable or non-responsive as a result. Instead, they went out of their way to show compassion.
What is more, those with the jobs viewed by the world as least desirable seemed to express the greatest level of care. Those "merely" delivering meals from the kitchen, cleaning the bathrooms, gathering the trash, and/or changing the linens seemed to go out of their way to be helpful and encouraging.
Later in the above-referenced sermon, Rev. Hodges adds these thoughts:
Did you ever call out loudly in a place where there was a loud echo? You can get any reply you want in a place like that. If you speak kindly, you will receive a kind answer. If you speak harshly, you will receive a harsh answer. Life is like that. Life is an echo.
Generally speaking, we get just what we give. If you say bitterly, “This is a cruel world — nobody ever did me a kindness,” that is another way of saying, “I have lived in a needy world and have never done a kindness to any human soul.”
Generally speaking, if we give the world the best we have, the best will come back to us. Jesus was speaking quite literally when He said, "It makes one happier to give than to get."
My wife and I have been inspired by this whole experience to think less of ourselves and more of others. That is to say, we have been reminded that it is indeed "more blessed to give than to receive".
Perhaps you should ponder this same principle.
SOURCE:
https://herbhodges.com/written-material/. Search for “Acts 20 35 The Lost Beatitude”.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/acts/20-35.htm.