Why do people find it difficult to give?
Mother’s Day is celebrated in the month of May, although the UK celebrates Mother’s Day in March. Whichever month this special day is celebrated, my theme today “It’s Better to Give” reminds me of mothers who give effortlessly. I haven’t met a mom who doesn’t live by this motto: “It’s better to give.”
I won’t list why this topic aptly applies to moms because I think we all know that moms would give anything and everything for their children. Rather, I will list a few reasons why we sometimes hold back from giving. That is, we forget our maternal instinct and our emotions when it comes to giving to people other than our children.
Why do people sometimes find it hard to give?
People find it difficult to give because of their myopia.
We must look beyond the short term; that is losing something when we give. We must think about the benefits we will receive by giving today. A buyer requested a discount but was denied. Unknowingly, the customer who requested a discount intends to buy in bulk. If the salesperson had researched and developed a relationship with the customer, he might have known the possibilities of growing his business in the long run.
People find it difficult to give because they believe they deserve to hold on to what they have worked so hard for.
You refuse to give (share) part of your earnings to help the poor because you believe that you deserve to enjoy what you have worked hard for. True, but giving is a way of acknowledging God’s gift to you: the gift of strength, wisdom, and good health to work.
People find it difficult to give because they think the recipient is not worthy of the gift. Are we worthy of God’s gift of talents and abilities that enable us to earn a living or even build our wealth? If God had the blessings of him depending on our dignity, would anyone receive the blessings of him? To the extent that God gives because he loves us, we too must do the same. We do not give for the value of the recipient. He gives because it is the right thing to do: to honor those who serve, to help those in need, to be a blessing, to show our love for God and humanity.
People find it difficult to give because they think they have nothing else to give.
You think you are not capable of giving much to your children. But you give more than material things to your children. You give them your love and your time. You are not able to give much benefit to your workers. But you give them importance and your time to advise them on any subject. You may not have the ability to give financially now, but look at the other resources you have. You will surely find something to give to someone.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” is worth thinking about and doing. As Proverbs 11:24 says: “One person gives freely, but gains still more; another withholds improperly, but becomes poorer.” Why refuse to give if you won’t get rich by withholding? Why refuse to give when your giving will bring joy to someone? Give as a mother gives to her children.
