Blessed to Give: Our Created Purpose

Every year we are fortunate to go on a trip to Cambodia with a team of Year 8 students for their annual 'service learning trip'. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of this team and always look forward to being a part of such an amazing experience.

It's interesting discussing with the students what they personally hope to gain from this trip. A common theme of those discussions can be summarised by the phrase 'I think I will learn to be more grateful for what I have'. I find this perspective interesting as it demonstrates that the students are already aware that there are others in the world and their own community who are less fortunate.

Following one such discussion with the students, I encouraged them to think about the 'what next' of this perspective. Of course, having an attitude of gratefulness is an extremely valuable virtue to have. I wish my children would be more grateful for the three boxes of hand-me-down Lego they own. However, I think there is a 'what next' to gratefulness that we often miss. Acts 25:35 says, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'."

For years, I thought this verse was merely an encouragement to serve others, especially those less fortunate - because it is the right thing to do. However, I had missed the most crucial part of the passage. 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'. We usually see serving or giving to others as a sacrifice where we are giving up something for the benefit of others. We may give up time, food, finances or energy when we serve others - however we are not left empty-handed. God created us in His image, to be ambassadors of His live, so when we show love to others through service or giving, we are in fact fulfilling one aspect of our created purpose.

That is the blessing that Jesus is talking about! How blessed are we to be following in the footsteps of our Creator and God who loves when we serve and give to others? That blessing is worth far more than any sacrifice of time, food or money.

Peter Reid

Head of Year 7/8