[Steve Myers] Well, it seems that there are two ends of the spectrum of personal behavior, or maybe we could think of it as two ends of the spectrum of personality types. On one side, maybe on the very far side of the spectrum, we could probably label a person that falls into that far side category as a taker.

A taker, how would you describe someone that would fit into that type of a personality trait? Not too hard to figure that one out, I don't suppose. Takers take more than they give. Pretty simplistic overall, they're focused on themselves. That's what's most important. One of the interesting things is that oftentimes, a taker would expect others to act the same way. They would expect others to be selfish and takers as well. So when they look at the world, they see a competitive place. They see a place that is a dog eat dog kind of a world, and that's their world view. That view that I've got to win which means you lose. And that seems to summarize that taker point of view. I mean even if you looked it up in the dictionary, what a taker is, it talks about grasping on to things, grabbing things, holding onto, possessing or seizing something or others in that matter. So that's certainly one end of the spectrum.

Now, if we go to the other end of the spectrum, that would have to be a giver. A giver would be all the way at the other end of that behavioral spectrum. Of course, a giver on the opposite side of things, how would you describe them? You would probably say they like to give more than they get. It's not real complicated there either, is it? Instead of being inwardly focused, they would be individuals that are outwardly focused or others is what their focus would be. And so instead of this very competitive type of a world view, their world view would be one, well, if I win, you can win too. We’re in this world together and of course, they're the ones that would contribute and not expect anything in return. They give without any strings attached. And if you were to look that up in the dictionary, it's just the opposite of a taker. They would be one that would freely transfer something to someone else, whether it be a gift or whether it be a service or whatever it might be. They'd be a supplier, they'd be a deliverer, they'd be one that would yield to someone else.

Nothing too complicated here, these two broad spectra of people, of who we are. Now the question would be where do we fit on that spectrum of takers and givers? And if we were to try to summarize the epitome of an individual that would be a taker… hopefully, nobody in the congregation came to mind. Satan would certainly be the epitome of a taker. He is described as a roaring lion. And what does he want to do? He wants to grasp or seize or control or devour anyone that he possibly could. So he would be the ultimate taker. In the book of John, John 8, he's described by Christ as a murderer. He wants to seize and take our lives, not just physically, but our spiritual life. And he speaks from who he is. He's a liar, and he's the father of lies. So the ultimate taker, certainly on that side of things.

But of course, on the right side, on the ultimate side, we have God, our Father, and Jesus Christ as the ultimate givers. It would be amazing study just to... if you need something to study, you can just Google, “God is a giver,” and there is a passage after passage after passage that you can really study and do a character study of what our Father is like, of what Jesus Christ, our Savior, His attributes and His character, because it points right to those very things of strength.

Even in just the Psalms alone, it is amazing how many different attributes of being a giver are described. Even in the Psalms, Psalms 29 talks about the strength of our God who gives us strength. The Psalms also talks about the fact that God will give us the desires of our heart. We actually have a song we sing that tells us that very same thing. Psalms 84 tells us God gives us grace, He gives us mercy, ultimately, He gives us glory. And so we have a giving God who says He gives us what is good.

And we could bump into the New Testament and see how He gives us perseverance and patience and encouragement. I mean we have an amazing God and maybe most of all, most importantly... there's a passage over in 1 John 5, if you'd like to turn there with me, that describes maybe one of the greatest attributes that is evidence of the kind of God that we have, as a wonderful giver. 1 John 5:11 describes our great God and how He gives to us. 1 John 5:11 almost starts as though it's a court hearing because it talks about testimony. And testimony, of course, is what a witness would give in a court case. Something that is supposed to be the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

Well, here John is inspired to tell us exactly that, the amazing attributes of our God when it comes to what He gives. And here it says, “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life,” He sees it as it's done because we have God's Spirit. We have the earnest of eternal life in the Spirit of God in us. And so He says, “this life is in His Son.” We have Jesus Christ living in us. It says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” And so John says, “These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” And of course, that belief isn't just knowing it, it isn't just believing it, but that belief then changes into obedience. It changes into following God. And we accept these wonderful gifts recognizing God is the ultimate giver. He loves to give. He loves to give.

Nobody would think of God as being stingy, kind of being meager in His gifts. I think Scripture bears out the fact that when God gives, He overwhelms. He is the greatest giver. And of course, these things aren't surprising to us. We know these things. And He does it because… not just it's an action for God, I think this becomes critical, God does this and is the ultimate giver because it's who He is. It's who He is. It's not just a behavior, it's not just an action, but it's a reflection of who God is. And it becomes critical then for us because He wants us to emulate Him, to be like Him, to follow Him. And so throughout scripture, we're told to do just that.

In fact, Paul reminded the Philippians of that same thought. Philippians 2:1, and it's important for us as well. Philippians 2:1, we can begin to see how that translates then for us. As we have these two ends of the spectrum: we have the ultimate taker and Satan the Devil and the ultimate giver, God the Father, reflected in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Philippians 2, let's notice the instructions for each of us, for each of us, as we strive to live God's way. Philippians 2, right at the beginning of the chapter, it says, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,” which seems like a rhetorical question. Is there any consolation as Christ? Of course, there is. Are there any benefits? No doubt. Is there any sharing, any participation? That's that word for fellowship. Is there any fellowship in the spirit? Of course, there is. There's affection and mercy, absolutely, no doubt whatsoever.

And because these things are true, we're told, verse 2, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, by having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” He describes even further what mind that is. He says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also the interests of others.” He points to, right, the most critical factor here. He says, “Let this mind, let this attitude, let this framework guide our thinking,” he says, “The mind that was also in Christ Jesus.”

So that's our ultimate example in that sense that Christ, as our Savior, set the example that we strive to follow in all of our thinking. So we're told, “This is the way we need to think.” And yet every day, we're faced with the challenges of the prince of the power of the air who strives to impact our thinking, who tries to thwart our spirituality, who tries to short circuit the goal of striving to live by God. He wants to subvert us. And yet we have God who strives against that human nature, when we allow Him to, in us.

And so how do we know? Because that's what it comes down to. How do we know if we’re fulfilling this passage? Are we really esteeming others better than ourselves? Is there a way that we can gauge that very thing? Certainly, God's Law helps us to do that very thing. But I thought, for this afternoon, we might ask ourselves, “How I can know where I am on that spectrum of whether of being a taker or whether being a giver?” So what I put together is a few questions to help us, maybe on a more practical level, to answer that very question: am I a giver or am I a taker? Do I tend to look inward, thinking of myself? Do I have the tendency to look more outward, thinking of others? So let's consider that for a few moments.

Here's the first question. First question: Do I work to get or to give? Do I work to give or to get? Which side of the spectrum are we on? What we know the good old American way, it’s better to look out for number one. I'm most important. I need to get everything I can. I need to get the bigger house, the better job, the nice car. That's what's most important, at least in America, it sure is. Is it that framework that God wants us to have? Is it just to earn a living so that I can provide for my family, for my spouse, for my children? Well, certainly we have to do that. Responsible people take care of their families. There's no doubt about that. But what is our approach in doing that? What is our attitude? What is our overall perspective? Do I work to get or do I work to give?

There's an interesting passage that deals with this. It's over in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians 4:28, Paul was inspired to write to God's church in Ephesus, I think, to help them to have a proper perspective, a godly perspective when it came to earning a living because we all have to do that. We all have to earn a living. But what is our mindset? How can we fulfill Philippians 2 and esteem others better than ourselves when it comes to the practicality of earning a living? Well, here's what God inspired Paul to write to us, to the Ephesians as well. Ephesians 4:28, notice what he says. Well, this is interesting, verse 27, he says, “Don't give place to the devil.” We know he's on that side of the spectrum, he wants to pull us into taking for ourselves and be in it only for ourselves. But verse 28, he says we've got to resist that influence. He says, “Let him who stole steal no longer,” can’t allow that influence, “but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good.” So that should be our perspective. Okay, I can't take what's not mine. I can't seize those things. I can't be like that wrong influence. Instead, I've got to have the impact that God wants me to have. I’ve got to have His framework. I've got to even do more than just be in it for my own self, for my own family, for my own children.

He says, “Okay labor, work with your hands,” but notice, he also gives a motivation that goes beyond self. He says, “working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” So working for ourselves is not God's perspective if that's all we have. He tells us we work to give. One of the reasons we work is not just to provide for… oh yes, we have to do that. But there's also this outward focus, that we can give because we work. And that should help frame why we work. And it expands our perspective that much further. In fact, in a way, he gives it as a bit of a command as he wrote to Timothy, the apostle Paul, under God's inspiration.

In 1 Timothy 6, let's notice the way that he words it, as he writes to the young minister Timothy. 1 Timothy 6, and we’ll begin verse 17. 1 Timothy 6:17, here he comes to the end of his letter, and it's interesting that this exhortation comes toward the end, maybe some of the last thoughts that Paul is striving to inspire Timothy with as he is working on himself and helping serve God's people. Notice what he tells him, verse 17. He doesn't say it would be a nice idea. He doesn't say, “Well, maybe we should think about this.” Or “perhaps we could consider these.” He tells it pretty straight out, doesn’t he? Verse 17, he says, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” You see, because when we're self-sufficient, don’t we have that tendency? I know we, as Americans, we never feel this way, do we?

We've been so blessed. If we compare ourselves to the rest of the world, none of us, even those who would be the poorest among us in America would be considered rich by the world's standards. And so he says, “Don't be haughty, don't trust in uncertain riches.” You see, that's that inward focus. That's not the other focus that God wants us to have. And so instead, verse 18, he says, “Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” And so he lays out this connection between literally, physically giving and building a spiritual foundation of good works, building a spiritual foundation that is built on Jesus Christ.

And so he says this is who we need to be. This is how we begin to have that mind in as is that we are focused on the right kinds of things. We're not focused on the things we have. We're not focused on those things at all. We're not trusting in those things. We're not trusting for our 401(k)s, that's not where it's at. He says, “We're trusting in the living God, and it changes everything.” And we should recognize the fact that God gives to us, and He certainly wants us then to learn to give, to learn to share, to learn to be generous, because we have such an amazing, generous Father. And so certainly that can begin to help us to identify, in this aspect of life, do I work to get or do I work to give?

Number two, number two, a second question that we can ask ourselves to gauge where we are on this spectrum. Now, in some things, we may be wonderful givers. In other things, we may be more toward the other side of the spectrum. Where are we? Where are we? Number two: do I marry to give or to get? Am I married to give or to get? If I'm single, do I want to be married to give or to get? You know, as a single, that's challenging. What is our mindset when it comes to that?

We might think, “Well, I would love to have the blessings that come from marriage.” That is a good thing. But is that really a full perspective of thinking about being married? I want to receive the blessings from marriage? I don't know that we'd be that critical about that thought. But what about turning that around a little bit? What about thinking, “How will marriage give me the opportunity to serve my spouse, to serve children that may come?” That kind of spins it around a little bit. Rather than focusing on what blessings will I receive, what opportunities will I have to give, to serve, to help? What can come from that?

So where is our mindset? All too often, it seems well, if you rub my back, I'll rub yours. Is that really a giver? Or is that giving maybe with strings attached a little bit? God certainly maps it out for us in a familiar section of scripture. In Ephesians 5, in Ephesians 5, he gives us instructions for husbands and wife. Ones we're familiar with, we know this section of scripture, but how does it apply when it comes to everyday living, and we think about how we treat each other. What our mindset is towards our mate. Let's notice Ephesians 5, maybe we can begin with the men in verse 25. Ephesians 5, we’ll begin in verse 25, and he gives some pretty specific instructions here. It tells us, “Husbands, love your wives,” well, I love my wife. That's easy enough, isn't it. Right?

You probably heard that story about the guy that got married, and 25 years later, his wife said to him. “Well, you know, you just never tell me that you love me.” And he said, “Well when we got married, I said I loved you. So if anything changes, I'll let you know.” Okay, is that what we're talking about? We're given the example, right. We're giving the ultimate example right here on what that love means. How it's exemplified. How is it? It says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also love the church” and what did he do? He “gave Himself for her,” He gave Himself, evidence of the ultimate giver. He gave His life so that He would sanctify it, verse 26 says, “and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word.”

So as husbands, we know we are to strive to follow the example of Christ. That's a given. That's what we need to do. How often do we fall into that category, where I really give to my spouse in a Christ-like manner? Where do we fit on that spectrum? Of course, the wives aren't left out either.

Down in verse 33 at the end, it says, “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself,” for the men, and ladies, “let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Verse 22 talks about being in subjection to your husband. Was that a once in a while kind of thing or when I want to or where do I fit on that spectrum? Am I married to give or to get? What do I expect in return? How do I manage when I don't receive the things that I think I should? Can I continue to give? Can I continue to emulate Christ who gave it all and what did the Church give in return? Nothing. But Christ gave His life as a ransom for us. So where do we fit on that scale, that spectrum of taker or giver?

Number three, number three: do I worship God to get or to give? Well, we probably say, “Well, I want to give God my all. I want to worship Him. I want to honor Him, and those are certainly probably our intentions. We want to do that very thing. But as we maybe think about it, at a deeper level than just the surface, there are some wonderful words that God inspired the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, if you want to make your way over there, I won't spend much time at it, but just bring it to your attention. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, perhaps later in the Sabbath, you could read through these sections of scriptures, because there's some beautiful examples of what it means to truly be a giver. Now, we're not just talking about money. We're talking about our life. Our lifestyle, our Philippians 2 mindset.

It tells us that we should excel in giving, not just be an okay giver, not to be just a good giver, but to be an excellent giver, that he even tells us to be a hilarious giver, be a cheerful giver, he talks about. Because God loves that mindset, because that's the way He thinks. And of course, as we begin to consider those kinds of things because God has called us, opened our minds to His truth, shown us a way through the sacrifice of His Son to have a relationship with Him.

What is our response to that? You see, I think what our natural response should be, spiritual response, it should be to honor Him, to praise Him, to obey Him, to put our trust in Him, to hope in Him. Which is all on the giving side of things, isn't it? It's not expecting things, expecting blessings, expecting life to be just peachy keen perfect. That's not the mindset. The mindset is honor and praise and worship and obedience, because He owns us. He owns us, and so we pay homage to Him, and we praise Him no matter the circumstances. There's no strings attached.

And as you read through chapter 8 and chapter 9, it points that out and yes, it does include our finances as well, doesn't it? It does. We can go to Malachi, we don't have to, but Malachi 3 talks about not robbing God in tithes and offerings, because it is a reflection of our attitude, our mindset, and it points to something I think that's really critical. We know in the Old Testament times, during the Old Covenant, they sacrificed animals, right. They sacrificed, the priests sacrificed bulls and goats and doves, all kinds of different animals. One of the interesting things that's noted about those sacrifices, we won't turn over there, but in the book of Numbers, it refers to the sacrifices. And in chapter 18 verse 11, you just write that down, it talks about those sacrifices as being something special. Not just an offering, not just a sacrifice, but Numbers 18 says that those sacrifices are gifts. They're gifts. They're given to God. They’re given to God, and that becomes critical when we fast forward to the New Covenant.

We live under the terms of the New Covenant, and we're told very specifically about sacrifices, about the gift that we give. Romans 12:1 deals with that. If you'll turn there with me. We know this section of scripture. It talks about the gifts that we give to God, and it's certainly not bulls and goats or calves or doves or anything like that. What does Romans 12 talk about? Well, it says we are that gift. We are that sacrifice. Romans 12, right at the very beginning, it says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” In the Old Testament, it was the priests' reasonable service to sacrifice animals.

But here, we see the deep spiritual meaning behind those sacrifices that we don't come to worship God to get. We honor him and we praise him by striving to be this living sacrifice, a sacrifice that in every area of our life, whether it's work, whether it's marriage, whether it's worship, that it's a reflection of who we're striving to be, striving to move away from that taker side of the spectrum to the godly side of the spectrum. And so because God has called us and because we're a sacrifice, we're not a sponge just try to soak up everything we want, we think we deserve. No, we’re a living sacrifice. And we offer our life as a sacrifice, as a gift, in that sense, as we give to God.

So where do we fall on that spectrum when it comes to worship? We're not talking about just here on the Sabbath, but throughout our week. Does our action reflect worship and praise and honor and glory to God as that living sacrifice between Sabbaths?

Number four, number four: do I fellowship to give or to get. Why do I fellowship? There are some fantastic examples throughout the Bible. Right at the very beginning of the New Testament Church, it talks about the disciples that continued in the apostles' doctrine. And of course, that's critical. You must have true doctrine. We have to have the right teachings. Without the right teachings, we’re totally off track. But it's also interesting in Acts 2:42, it tells us not only the doctrine was critical, but it also talks about the fact they continued steadfastly in fellowship, sharing, that set word koinonia, to share, to give to each other, we participate together. That word has all of those different aspects to it, as we’re striving to be more like God, so we fellowship together. And as you would study the word fellowship throughout the New Testament, there are some amazing things that God has given to us.

Paul and Barnabas were given the right hand of fellowship as they were sent on a mission, as they were given duties and responsibilities. And in a sense, as God calls us and open our minds to His truth, it's almost like He extends that hand to us, that we can fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians talks about that very fact. We're told that there's a fellowship that we share because of the gospel. Paul told the Philippians about that as well. We're told that we have the fellowship of the Spirit because at baptism, we received God's Spirit, and that thrusts us into His Body, the Church. And we can share, and we can participate together. And so as we consider this concept of fellowship, how would we gauge the kind of fellowship that we participate in? Do we fellowship to give or to get?

There's a section of scripture that deals with this that I'm sure you're familiar with. It's over at Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10:23 is just one of so many passages that focus on this aspect of gauging whether we are a taker or whether we're a giver. Hebrews 10:23, it tells us to, “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” So that's one thing we can always count on. You can always count on the fact that God isn't going to go back on His promise. He loves us. He's made us promises. He says He'll never leave us or forsake us, He is faithful, we can trust Him. We can have absolute faith and confidence in Him because He is the ultimate giver. We can trust Him. And so that should be then reflected in how we deal with each other. So he says in verse 24, “let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” so part of the concept of fellowshipping should be for this very reason. Does God stir us with His Spirit?

I think He does keep that promise. He says we're to share that. We're to have communion. That's where that word communion comes, from sharing, participating, koinonia, same word, fellowshipping. So we are to fellowship with “one another and stir one another up to love and good works.” He says, here's how we do it, “we’ve got to be together.” We've got to be together. If we’re not together how can we possibly accomplish this? And so He tells us we’re His Church. We are the ecclesia, we’re those that are called out of this world.

But it's not just the calling out of the world, there's more to it than that. They would often use that word to describe the city councils during this first-century era. They were called out of the general population of the city, but it wasn't just that they were called out. It's like our council members here today. They're called out of all the elders, but you know what? They're brought together to serve, and so they will do the work of the Church this coming week. For all of us, as a part of God's Church, we're called out of this world, and we are brought together as the Body of Christ. We're given opportunities to be givers in fellowship, to fulfill this kind of exhortation that we're given, to stir one another up, to love and good… It's not just to get together and feel better and hopefully, make it through the next week.

No, it's to encourage and urge each other on. It's to fulfill this command that God gives us. Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, because we're called out. Now we're brought together so that we can do this. It even says, “so much the more as you see the day approaching.” I don't think any of us would, for one moment, think that that day is “Whoo, boy, it’s way off.” Do we see the day approaching? Do the events that have been happening in the world, it just seems like on a weekly basis, does it point us to the fact that this can't go on, this can't continue in this way? God’s going to intervene in this world’s affairs. If we see that day approaching, which we must, He says, “Be a giver. Be a giver and have it reflected in your fellowship.” Because this godly fellowship is a gift of God, and so utilize that gift and show this gratitude that we have to God by sharing among the Body of Christ. He wants us to do that very thing.

Number five, number five: do I serve to get or to give? What we know we're called to be givers, we're called bondservants. We're to be slaves, we're to be the ultimate servant. We're supposed to be out there for the benefit of all. We know these things. In fact, where is it, in Galatians, I think, it tells us that we're not to grow weary as we're serving and as we're giving. “Don't grow weary in good” works and we know that it's “more blessed to give than to receive.” Remember Christ's words being quoted over there in the book of Acts.

It always seems to me that if we take on that selfish approach, that inward approach. Now you tell me, does it seem that the takers and what they want most, it seems that they get the least when it comes to those things? Because what they want most doesn't seem to come about. On the other hand, the givers that want to give seem to get back what they give most. And I think it seems to fit exactly with that law of sowing and reaping. God talks about that so clearly. When we give to others if someone gives to you, how do you feel? What is your reaction? What’s your mindset? You probably want to give in return and that's a good thing. That's a very good thing.

And so as we consider why we do what we do, how do we gauge ourselves when it comes to service? There is a challenge because it's possible to be a giver in taker’s clothing or to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, right, same kind of thought. Is it possible to be a taker in giver’s clothing? In other words, I'm giving in order to get back. Yes, it's possible. Can you think of any examples in the New Testament that point to individuals who are like that? They gave to look good. They gave so that they could seem to be just such wonderful people. Yes, I think there's a few that came to mind. Ananias, Sapphira maybe came to mind.

I thought of 3 John talks about a man named Diotrephes, must have been an awesome servant. But it seems like he was a taker in giver's clothing because it says there in verse 9 of 3 John that he loved the preeminence. Loved to be on top, loved to shine, loved to get the attention. That was his point of view. And so I think we need to step back and ask ourselves, “Why do I… Why do I serve my spouse? Why do I serve others? Why do I help a church? Why do I do these things? Is it because I want the pat on the back? Is that why I do it?” “Wow, that's really great. What a wonderful person you must be.” Is that what we want people to think? And we only do it because of the attaboy, “Wow, way to go, attaboy, that's great.” Is that why we serve?

I can think of an individual I knew many, many years ago, gave at an opportunity to really serve and did an amazing job, really jumped in, fulfilled a real need. And so it certainly appeared that all was well. But later on, this individual became very upset. He was really aggravated. And as it kind of came out, the reason they were upset is because the people that they had helped and served didn't give enough thanks, didn't write a letter of acknowledgment to say how wonderful the service was that they didn't give enough thanks. They didn't give enough attaboys. They didn't give enough way to goes. They didn't give enough pat on the backs so that they became bitter about not getting what they thought should be their reward in that sense.

Certainly, we don't want to be in that category. Because if your giving is with strings attached, that's not really giving, is it? No. That's more of like an exchange of goods, isn't it? You go to the grocery store, you buy food, you give the money. Does the clerk at the store say, “I'm giving you these groceries?” No, they're not. They’re not. Now that's not a bad thing, but that's commerce, right. That's not a gift, we don't call that giving. That's just an exchange of goods because true giving doesn't expect anything in return. True service is in that regard.

So where are we on that spectrum? Maybe one of the things we'll find is that, depending on the time, depending on the circumstance, we're at different spots on that spectrum. But overall, God wants us to keep moving toward His side of the spectrum. True, we’ll never be perfect, but He gave us the instruction, “Become perfect like your Father in Heaven is perfect.” That's our goal. We strive to rise to the level of Christ, to His standard. That's our goal. That's where we're heading. And so to ask these difficult questions and gauge ourselves. We’re not supposed to gauge our wife or our children or a person sitting next to us or the congregation—it’s for us. So we can ask these very personal questions that, in some ways, only we know the answer.

Why do I pray, to give or to get? Why do I study? “So I can become a scholar. So I can have great understanding.” Well, that might not be a bad thing. Is it to give or to get? Why do I exercise? Even a simple thing like that? Why? Why do I do that? Why do I love? Why do I want to learn? Why do I want to grow?

If we put all of those things into the formula of “Why am I doing this? Am I doing this to give or to get?” If we begin to think about it in those ways, I think it becomes a way that we can gauge where we're at, so we can strive to fulfill Philippians 2 and put on that mind that Christ had, to have His insight, to have His attitude, to have His emotions, to have His frame of mind, and His thinking. And of course, as we begin to do that, that's a very personal thing, a very individual thing, because we're all different and we all have different ways that we can give.

Wouldn’t be fair to compare ourselves among ourselves, that's not wise. Scripture tells us that. Some of us have great financial means. Others, not so much. There are others that have time, they can give time. Others give encouragement. Some can share their wisdom and their knowledge, their experience. So I think it's important, as we consider these things, we don't want to beat ourselves up because, “Well, I can only give this way or serve in this way.” I don't think that's what God wants us to do, but He wants to have us excel in the ways that He's blessed us with. There are so many blessings when you consider that.

Are givers blessed? You know, is there a sowing in a reaping principle that applies to giving? I think so, when you consider it. Just think being free from that destructive mindset of greed. Greed monetarily, greed for self-interests. You know, that sinful mindset, we can be free of that. We can be conformed to the image of His Son, God's Son. We can be like that.

Being a giver brings us to that, because then, it changes things. It changes our relationships, our relationships with each other. It changes our relationship with God. I think it moves to a deeper, more enduring relationship that we can have on every level when you really think about being this giver. And ultimately, we can reap eternal life. That's the ultimate gift that God gives us.

So as we consider these things, a couple of things to think about in this coming week. Let's think if there's maybe a practical action that we can take, a couple of action steps, if you want to call them that, as we go through this week, not just the Sabbath kind of thing, but an everyday kind of thing. Is there anything that we can do more on a daily basis, this coming week, to see where we fit on the spectrum?

First of all, if we could take time this week to really pay attention to the way that we think, to our mindset that then turns into specific actions, our conduct, can we begin to step back a little bit from just all the busyness and all the activities that are going to be going on this week, and just consider “Why am I doing this? Why did I act that way? What got me into that frame of mind? What was I thinking that led me to that action?”

And if we begin to do that, I think we can then look at our lives. And there’s going to could be times we're going to go, “You know, I was really a giver in that situation.” Of course, we’re not going to brag about that to anybody else in that, but we can take heart. We can take encouragement. I think God wants to give us that encouragement that yes, you can succeed. You can put on the mind of Christ. It's possible to give without strings attached. I can do this without expecting things in return.

And of course, like always, when we gauge and test ourselves, we're going to find times that we're not exactly going to measure up to that ultimate standard. But if we could pay attention to our thinking that develops into those actions, I think it will help us to begin to judge ourselves a little bit more effectively. We might even ask ourselves or I'm asking myself, “Am I a giver or taker? In this situation, what is my mindset?” Now we could also ask, “Does my wife think I'm a giver or a taker in this circumstance. Do my friends see me as a giver or a taker? What do my coworkers think? Do they think I'm in it for myself, climbing the ladder? Am I in that kind of thought in their mind, or is it different?”

Now you don't have to ask them necessarily. That could be a scary thought. If you're really bold, maybe you would. But I think that can help us just to imagine, “What do they think?” Not that I'm trying to impress somebody or anything like that, that's not the point. The point would be, is that really who I am. I can gauge myself then. And as I consider that, that's another way that I can judge myself. I can judge myself because I want to be that giver. I want to emulate Jesus Christ. I want to strive to be perfect like my heavenly Father is perfect. That's where I'm heading. I don't want to be on that wrong side of the spectrum. That's the way I want to walk.

And if I can think of those practical ways to judge myself, that should help me then to take the action to overcome, to repent, and then to change. And then you know, we can really think about ways I can give. Because if I look at myself and say “Boy, I didn't do very good on that one. What can I do? How can I become that giver?” So you don't leave it in the negative place, that God doesn't want us just to see, “Oh, boy, I’ve fallen short of His standards, why try?” See that's not what God wants us to think.

He wants us to see us as we are, see ourselves that way, and then think of the ways that we can take action. Because He loves us, He wants to support us. We can pray. We can ask God, “Help, show me ways that I can give,” and that giving can take so many different forms, based on the ways that we can give best and we can give most. I think we probably could all step back and think of at least one way that we could be a better giver: a better giver in our marriage, a better giver at work, a better giver in fellowship, a better giver in... fill in the blank. I think we can all come up with something.

And then of course, on the other in the spectrum I think we sometimes need to step back and say, “Okay, where I have been a taker? Where have I been a taker? And how can I begin to root that out of my life? How can I decrease that kind of thinking, so that's not reflected in my action because that's not who I want to be.” And maybe it's just beginning that step to say, “You know, I'm going to do what's right, what's best. I'm going to give, and I am not going to expect anything in return.” That's my goal because we don't want to be a taker in disguise, right? I think if we consider the fact that according to our abilities that God blesses us with, it's going to be unique. It's going to be different than anyone else, and that's a very good thing. That's a wonderful thing because we don't want to compare, and we don’t want to give by what somebody else is giving. That's not the point.

I think there are so many blessings and so many ways that we can look at our own lives in this coming week and commit to continue to walk down that path, to be the kind of giver that God wants us to be. In fact, there's an amazing passage that I think, in a way, points to the kind of giver that God is and the kind of giver that He wants us to be, and then also focuses on the results, as we strive to be that kind of person. It's over in Luke 6:38. Let's take a look at Luke 6:38, love this passage, as Christ instructs us in the kind of individuals we need to be and the kind of giver that God is. This is kind of a fun scripture when you consider it in this mindset. He says, “Give, and it will be given to you.”

When we have that Philippians 2, esteeming others better than ourselves, and if we put that into practice, we have the mind of Christ, and it can't help but have results. “Give, and it will be given to you,” and not just kind of measly kind of given back, not kind of a paltry return. But look at the way God gives. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” See, that's the kind of giver that God is. It's running over.

I mean I think of that in terms of summertime. Anybody like ice cream? I like ice cream cones in the summertime. Do you ever go to these soft serve places? Some of them have perfected the art of just opposite of this passage. They have a way of twirling that ice cream in the cone, and it looks like it's full, and then you eat the ice cream down to the cone, and it's empty. That's not how God is. God is going to get that ice cream right to the bottom of the cone. That's the way God is. He's going to make sure that is jam-packed and a full cone is what you get. He's not going to, you know, shortchange you. That's what He's talking… it's “going to be a good measure, pressed down.” Of course, He's probably talking about grain in this instance, but you think in terms of ice cream, that's the way God is. He's going to give you a full helping, overflowing.

God is blessing us in these ways. And then He tells us that's what we're to do. “The same measure that you use, it will be measured back.” So as we strive to put on that mind of Christ, let's allow God to train us, as real givers, and all strive to reflect the giving character of the greatest giver of all. And that is are our wonderful, great God. So let's be that giver and strive to be that way more fully this coming week and beyond, in everything we say and everything that we do.