I believe you make a living by what you receive and a life by what you give.
Many times we are trapped in this life to make a living. We do what we can do to get by, to survive another day, another week, another month and so forth. We look for more money; we want to receive what we feel we deserve when we want so we can make a living. We are all focused on what can I get here that will change my living standards or make me better.
All this is right, but in order to make a life, we have to give. We have to give off ourselves, resources, time, etc. We don't have just to receive and receive, but we have to give and keep giving. A freshwater lake is that which has an inlet and an outlet. It's not about what you got but what you give that counts. How you touch and invest in others’ lives. What contribution are you making or willing to make? What value or impact do you have on someone life?
Our significance is not so much on who we are or what we have but on what we give or contribute to design or make a life. Our contribution to make the world around us better is what gives significance. It’s in how we pay it forward, how we impact the lives of those who we come across. A friend of mine gave a story of how he pays it forward. If he helps someone get a deal or a job, instead of receiving the appreciation which most people would like to give a cash appreciation, he asks them to find someone who needs help and give that money to. If all of us did that, some of the problems we face would disappear in a matter of weeks. If we all had this paradigm and chose not to keep receiving but invested in others, we would have a better world for everyone.
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Our desire to keep receiving has made us very corrupt. We want to accumulate at the expense of anything. We don't care about others. We have no regard for how people view us so long as we have what we need. A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. You don’t get a good name by receiving and taking everything. I believe you get a good name by giving, investing in others, impacting others, paying it forward as you may call.
I have heard stories of people who worked to greater length to acquire everything they needed. After their death, their children wasted everything they left behind, or there is no peace. This indeed doesn't bring hope to anyone. No one who really cares wants to know that all their life’s effort was wiped out immediately they died or left their family in more conflict. I believe we want a legacy for ourselves and our families. We want our generation and the generation after us to be grateful for what we did and left them with. This is not by greedily acquiring everything but by being generous and impacting the lives of many. It’s also in giving that our family can receive. I have come across people who have succeeded in building a name that works for them and for sure will work for their families. Anyone who mentions that name is treated with great respect because of what the name means to the people who know it. This is what I want. I may not have all the money, silver and gold to give my family and sons the first-class life, but I would instead build a name that will work for them to access and earn all they would want in this life. I'd rather have a son who will be proud to associate with my name and who I am; rather than one that will go to greater length to avoid anything to do with me.
How are you involved in making a living? Are you just occupied in making a living or do you give room for making a living? This is not about material possessions but also on giving yourself. The whole teachings of Jesus can be summarised into a call upon us to give ourselves to something bigger than us, the people around us, and the world. This is the essence of love. For God so loved the world that He gave, not took! He gave the most precious gift of all.
If you were to give something now, what would that be? How would you go about it? Who would you give to? Start where you are. Be a follower of Jesus by giving to an individual, your family, your team, your organization and your community.
If this resonates with you, seek to make a life rather than making a living. Look for a small community of friends who you can learn to do this together with. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey of impacting lives. You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.
Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.
By Gabriel Achayo
Great pieceš„
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