We have all
heard the expression, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, but do you
know who said it or in what context it was used?
In Acts 20,
Paul meets with the leaders of the church in Ephesus. During the course of this talk, he tells them
to, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers. Be shepherds of the
church of God which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). They had a responsibility to lead the church
and they were to take that role seriously.
He ends his
speech with these words from Jesus; “It is more blessed to give than to
receive” (verse 35). Now, on first
glance, it looks like Paul is changing the subject, or throwing in something
else to think about. After all, he has
been talking about being a leader and influencing others and suddenly he is
talking about “giving”. What happened
here? Did we miss something?
No! Not at all!
The reason Paul
ends his speech that way is because that is how the leaders were going to get
things done.
Their
leadership was not to be characterized by “lording it over others” or trying to
get something for themselves, but by being servants (see 1 Peter 5:2-4). In fact, that is exactly how Paul saw
himself. Almost every letter that he
writes opens with words like, “Paul, a servant (or slave) of Christ Jesus”. Paul was a leader, but he was not “the boss”. He was not interested in what he could get. Instead, wanted to know what he could give. He was not there for himself, but for them.
Church
leadership is not about “keeping people in line” or being the guard in the
watchtower ready to shoot anyone who strays the wrong way. Real influence and leadership comes when we
serve one another. Lives are changed
when we put others ahead of ourselves (Philippians 2:3).
It was said
of Jesus that he, “…did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
If we are
going to make a difference in this life, or in eternity, we have to learn this
lesson: Nothing is accomplished by force or guilt. All leadership in the spiritual realm is
servant leadership.
Why is it
more blessed to give than to receive?
Because God works that way.
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