And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Acts 20:32-35
Although Paul spent three years ministering in Ephesus, his final words to the church leaders were not about what they could do for him, but about what they could give to others. He reminded them of his own example of labor and generosity and then repeated these words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Though this statement is not recorded in the Gospels, it was evidently a well-known saying of Christ that Paul wanted these believers to remember.
The value of a giving heart does not just change how we interact with money. It changes every part of our lives. Dr. Don Sisk wrote, “If I live to give rather than live to get, I will not be envious of others. I will be able to rejoice because God gives to others. I know many people in the world today who literally live to give. Some of these people are very poor, but the greatest joy that comes to them is to be able to give to others. I know some very wealthy people who live to give. Both the poor and the wealthy are happy they live for the same purpose. The person who lives to give is happier than the person who lives to get.”
