Who you be?
Don't be a Takeah!
An echo of audible gasps can be heard around the world. Sorry for the bad
grammar and spelling, I wanted your attention, because what follows could change
your life. It will help some continue in the good you do and others to
repent and do better.
“ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is
that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also
himself.
He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon
the head of him that selleth it.
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief,
it shall come unto him.” Proverbs 11:24-28
There are essentially two kinds of people in the world.
Givers and Takers
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he
giveth of his bread to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9
I was complaining about a situation that I felt I had been wronged in one day to
a dear friend. He stopped me and said, “You know there are two kinds of people,
givers and takers. You know that you have always been blessed by being a giver.
Those that are takers are never blessed.”
We have all known the takers. I have seen it in every aspect of life, both
secular and religious. Those people who find a
source of funds and will eke out every penny they can for themselves and see
everything as a source of funding.
I saw it after Katrina. In Jackson, the Red Cross and FEMA was giving money to
people who had suffered in the storm. I qualified by the guidelines. Red
Cross was giving 400 dollars for each person. I qualified for Two thousand
dollars, but there was no way I would consider taking money when people had lost
everything. We lost a few trees and had a little damage, but really
I was thankful. But there was a spirit of greed in the city, you could
feel it. I saw a long line of people at a grocery store. This mesmerized
me. Many people in places of need did not get help, because people in Jackson
who “qualified” to get the money saw an opportunity to take theirs, when they
had not really suffered anything. So the takers took because they could, money
that should have went to people who were really in need.
Red
Cross is a giving organization. Givers do not consider the depravity of a taker
mentality. And so the takers lined up and essentially stole money from those in
need. I heard of people getting on the phone telling people, “You can go get
some money.” The taker mentality tendeth toward poverty. Jesus said it, “the
poor you have with you always.”
Sadly some see relationships for what is in it for them. They are only willing
to extend themselves as far as gain can be seen, but when they no longer see a
benefit to themselves they disappear like snow in the sunshine. You see it in
scripture in the person of Lot. His uncle carries him and he in turn is blessed
beyond measure because of his association. Notice in the story what happens when
they must choose what is going to be theirs. Abraham is a giver. He allows Lot
to choose his direction and rather than favoring his uncle who had given him
everything he had, he favored himself and chose the well watered plains. If
Abraham had chosen, Lot would have received the same portion, because he would
have preferred Lot. It is in the mindset of preferring the good of someone you
love.
Let me qualify and say there are legitimate needs. We all at times have
been in need and someone helped us. Having need does not make you a taker.
But what were you before your need and how will you act when your need is met.
There is nothing wrong with people who love you helping you. There is nothing
wrong with you if you have need. I am not speaking of real need, I am speaking
of a mentality that when there is not a need, people still see things to their
benefit that are intended for other purposes.
You
are either a flow of water or you are dry ground. It may seem hard to
distinguish, because takers have taken long enough to know to get the tap
running they have to give a little, like pouring water in a pump, it takes a
little to get the pump running. But watch out, when the pump begins to run dry
and when something goes wrong they will no longer find a purpose in being
around. How we respond at this point can define us.
Givers and Takers.
In this conversation, my friend made the observation, “You know we are always
blessed by being the one that is the giver.” When you feel you have been taken,
it may not feel so blessed. But it is better to have been taken, than to be the
taker. It is better to suffer wrong, than to do the wrong. It is better to be
offended, than to be the offender.
This dear friend I mention as a giver has on many occasions taken people under
his wing and given of his time with no expectation in return. I was one of those
he took interest in. As but a young “perspiring” and aspiring minister, he would
invite me to go with him when he preached out. For the first ten years of our
relationship, he would use his position and refused to allow me to pay for
anything. When I found myself in dire straights, he has dropped everything to
come to my aid and counsel. He has given to me, when there was no upside. This
same person has for years spoke faith and confidence in me, encouraged me in
every avenue of my life from writing to preaching and beyond. He is and has
always been a giver. The challenge for all givers is when takers gets in your
down line.
Judas became a betrayer, not because he was devious, but he was a taker. For the
benefit of a little silver, he sold the savior out. He was the one who coveted
to value of the alabaster box that was broken as an offering. While she made a
memorial, he was trying to make money. Beware if we ever begin to try to profit
in spiritual things. Jesus cleansed the temple of the merchants and
moneychangers. It is a dangerous thing to see ministry connections as a way to
pad our stash.
King Saul was rejected because he could not be a giver. He saw everything and
everyone as a threat and endeavored to snuff the life out of any potential
rival. He was fighting against God, and casting aspersions and spears at an
honest man. The one that is casting spears is the one that is in the wrong,
always. David felt guilty for even considering doing Saul wrong, while all the
while Saul was seeking David’s destruction. If you’re in the right, you’re not
casting spears and trying to hurt someone. The ones in the wrong are always the
ones doing the wrong. They are the ones with the wrong attitude. We must not
allow King Saul to turn us into a King Saul. We must not allow spear throwers to
turn us into throwing spears. We must not allow the wrongs we have suffered to
change us from givers into takers.
God
blesses givers. Takers can’t be blessed. Look at who the Lord
chose to be the door into the gentile nation. A man of liberality. A Giver.
Often we think of giving as yellow envelopes and church giving. But givers give
in every area of their lives. I think the challenge for those who enter into
“professional” ministry, where we in some way begin to be compensated by money
given to the Lords work, is we lose the flow of generosity that opened the door
of ministry in our lives. We must not ever allow the flow that comes in our life
to cause the flow to stop coming out of our lives.
“Lord help me to be a better and more generous giver. Help me to discern
legitimate need from a scheme. Help me Lord never to try to benefit from
something that would take it from someone who is in need.”
Let me say I have received many blessings and much help. My parents, my
wife, my friends, pastors, teachers and mentors. You can not give what you
do not have. I have been helped in more ways by more people than I
deserve. I have received. The key is how I respond to what I have
been given. You give what you got. If you will be sure to help those
you can help, as others have helped you. In every way, I have been
blessed by people who have literally changed my life because of their generosity
in giving of their time, talent and treasure to me. I received it. I
was blessed by it. I will be forever changed because of it. There is
nothing wrong with receiving. The key is what you do with what you have.
Freely ye have received, freely give. I have had people give me a
chance, put trust in me, have faith in me and take a gamble on me. It is
my responsibility to be sure that I take care of what they have given me.
I count it my responsibility to be sure they don't regret, but rejoice in the
fact they invested wisely when the gave to me what I needed at the time.
Jesus is the picture of the ultimate giver. He
gave his life, his blood, his time, his energy and his love for us. In
every situation he was giving. Never do we see him taking anything.
Let us all be givers and not takers.
In Jesus Name!
In Him, By Him, Through Him,
Scott Phillips
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