May 21 – Givers and Takers

Proverbs 28:19

He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.  (NASB)  

Life is all about food. Can’t live without it. It takes some kind of work to have a constant supply of food, to have plenty of food. Whether growing our food in a garden or farm or else earning money to buy food; we have to work.

Following empty pursuits is like chasing the wind---you can never catch it, never hold it in your hands. You can feel the wind, but never grab hold of it. There may be plenty of wind, or plenty of food, but with a purposeless mission there is emptiness, an unfulfilled dimension to one’s life. What is your purpose in life? Have you discovered that yet? Are you seeking the meaning to your life? Do you live to serve or to be served? I was once told that there are two kinds of people in this world: the givers and the takers. The givers are the ones out there working who will have plenty of food for their family and they readily share with others. The takers are the ones who are always looking for someone to take care of their needs and wants; they are willing to be served, to be on the receiving end of any situation. I think that in most situations there are givers and takers and at some time people will be one or the other in varying degrees. But it is the takers who will be in poverty, even if they have obtained plenty of food. Does this cover spiritual issues as well?

Spiritually there are those who are givers, encouraging others spiritually. And there are the takers who follow empty pursuits, seeking after their own desires and pleasures. A friend recently showed me a diagram that is useful in any interaction, but specifically was related to our relationship to God. There are only two responses to God, “Yes” and “No”.  So if someone is doing something in a “Yes” response to God, they will feel peace, joy, contentment and other positive feelings. If their response to God is “No”, then they’ll feel sadness, anger, bitterness, resentment. Wow! I’ve felt that way when I know that I’m either doing or not doing what I know God would want me to do. That equates to a positive response providing “food” and a negative response resulting in “poverty” or time without God. God has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 5:13), but He still gives us free will to choose to obey Him, or not.

Lord, fill me with the desire to help others---to be willing to serve and encourage others, just like You. I want to be a giver, not a taker.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.