Near the end of Paul's third mission, there was a tender reunion. Because he needed to get back to Jerusalem, he didn't have time to stop in Ephesus, a city where he had served for about two years (Acts 19:10), but he invited some of the church leaders from Ephesus to visit him as he passed through Miletus, a city about 50 miles south. During that visit, he reminded them of the way he had served and encouraged them to follow his example:
I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Acts 20:33-35
I've been thinking today about that principle: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
I have a friend who was diagnosed this week with a serious medical condition which will require surgery and a lengthy period of recovery. He is going to need a lot of help in the coming months, and when I visited him yesterday, I assured him that it is good to humbly accept the gifts and service that other people will offer him during this challenging time. If it is more blessed to give, then that implies that it is also blessed to receive. We don't always have the luxury of being in a position to give, and in those circumstances, we can gratefully appreciate the gifts given by others.
I looked for other examples of one activity being more blessed than another in the scriptures. Here's what I found:
- You are blessed when you are humbled by your circumstances. You are more blessed when you humble yourself. (See Alma 32:13-16, 25.)
- The people who saw Jesus and chose to follow him were blessed. Those who have not seen Him but choose to follow Him anyway are more blessed. (See 3 Nephi 12:1-2.)
- Nine of the disciples Jesus called to lead his church on the American continent were blessed because they willingly dedicated their lives to doing His work. The other three were more blessed, because they wanted to prolong their lives and continue serving until His Second Coming. (See 3 Nephi 28:3, 7.)
- In November 1830, about seven months after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Lord told Orson Pratt, who had been baptized six weeks earlier, "Blessed are you because you have believed; and more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel" (Doctrine and Covenants 34:4-5, italics added).
Here's my takeaway: There are many things we can do which will be a blessing for us and for others. We should do them. Sometimes, there is an opportunity to stretch ourselves even more, in ways that will bring us even more happiness. We should take advantage of those too.
Sometimes we receive graciously; other times we are able to give. Sometimes our circumstances humble us; other times we have the opportunity to humble ourselves. Sometimes we believe in something for which we have a lot of evidence; other times, our belief requires more trust. It is wonderful to be blessed, and I think we all have opportunities to be more blessed.
Today, I will look for ways to stretch myself, to improve upon the good things I'm doing, and to replace some activities with higher value ones. I will strive to take advantage of the opportunities God gives me to be more blessed.
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