Waverly Church of Christ

Early one morning, during World World II, an American serviceman was making his way back to the barracks in London. He saw a little boy with his nose pressed to the window of a bakery, staring in silence. The serviceman's heart went out to the little boy. "Son," he asked, "would you like some of those?" "Oh, yeah, I would!" the boy replied. The serviceman stepped inside and bought a dozen. He took the bag outside, handed it to the boy, and said, "Here you are." As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug at his coat. Turning around he looked down at the boy who asked him quietly, "Mister, are you God?" When we give, we acts as God does. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). As God's people, we should be givers. It should be a way of life for us. As Paul stood before the Ephesian elders for the last time, he reminded them of his own example when he had been with them: a.) of being free from greed. b.) Of providing for his own needs and even for the needs of his co-workers. Paul called upon them to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself had said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35). These words of Jesus are found nowhere else in Scripture. Apparently they were part of an oral tradition passed down by those who had been with Jesus during His earthly ministry. But why are givers more blessed than those who receive?