Today, I led a discussion at church on Acts 20. Towards the end of the chapter, Paul tells the elders at Ephesus that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This has been instilled in me since I was a child.
I grew up in a very giving family and community. On any given day, an unexpected knock on the door would result in a pot of soup, some meat for your deep freezer, or simply socks. Most of the time, these gifts were just in time and the answer to my mother’s prayers. But as a child in a materially deprived household, I often felt embarrassed.
As an adult, I had to mature into accepting gifts from people and disassociating receiving gifts from growing up poor – two totally unrelated events. I now readily accept gifts because I know the giver will be blessed.
Giving, on the other hand, comes easily to me. It’s my nature, and I do it cheerfully.
I don’t keep tabs, so I don’t have the receipts that I’m more blessed because of it – I’ll just take Jesus at his word. Since we’re headed into the season where we celebrate the greatest gift the world has ever been given, I want to remind you to give and accept gifts readily – be blessed!
Ronnie Odom grew up in Gray, Georgia, and is the firstborn of four children. He currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and works for a small consulting firm in Winter Park, Florida. Ronnie loves to travel and has been to Europe, Central and South America, and over 40 states in the USA. He’s also an amateur art collector and loves going to art shows. His favorite hobby is interior design. Ronnie’s favorite quote is by Dr. Maya Angelou, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”
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