“The world certainly was designed with a sense of humor….  Inside every truth and every appearance, there’s a bit of opposite tucked inside.”  Pindar in The Go-Giver

How comfortable are you receiving gifts from others?  Explain.

And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  (Acts 20:35, NLT)

Earlier this month, I highlighted the book The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea (see 2/4/08 DG).  In that book are presented five rather unusual laws called “The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.”  For the last several DGs I have been looking at each of those laws individually.

The last law is the Law of Receptivity which simply states, “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”  As one of those radical Christians who believes the Bible should be interpreted literally, I strongly believe the words of Jesus as quoted by Paul in today’s scripture.

In fact, I daresay that most have grown up understanding that it is better to give than to receive.  Many of us have had that drummed into our subconscious so long that we don’t even know how to graciously receive a gift of any kind.  We sometimes even have trouble asking fair compensation for our labors.  

I have never seen a commentary nor heard a sermon that explores this from the point of view that for someone to give, someone else must receive.  To take it to the extreme, if everybody literally refused to receive because they were holding out for the blessing that comes from giving, there would be nobody left to give to.  It would all come to a screeching halt!  Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Quoting from The Go-Giver, “Receiving is the natural result of giving.  If you give and then try to stop the receiving that comes back, you’re like King Canute watching the tide roll out and commanding it not to come back in.  It has to come back in, just as your heart has to contract after relaxing.”  Continuing to quote, “…the secret to success…to gaining it, to having it, is to give, give, give.  The secret to getting is giving.  And the secret to giving is making yourself open to receiving.”  Remember, the more you have, the more you have available to give.  Don’t shut off the flow.

And that, dear reader, ends the series on the five laws from The Go-Giver.  I do hope you’re inspired to get this book.  It’s a very powerful read.

Prayer Power
Lord, allow us to see the deeper truth behind your words as quoted in Acts 20 rather than just that which lies on the surface.  Grant us the ability to be as gracious in our receiving as we are in our giving.

Link of the Day
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Blessings to you as you remain open to receive from some unexpected source with a simple “Thank you.”