5 of 77

Yes

Write now Article Tools

Each of us knows the feeling of receiving. Whether it is a gift during the Christmas holidays or some other type of kindness from another, most everyone has an idea of what this means. Receiving is an easy endeavor. All that is required is to accept whatever is offered by another person. Any other response and you will rob the giver of the simple joy of seeing you enjoy their effort.

Giving is an altogether different proposition. To be a giver, you must put away your selfish desires to be the center of attention. This is not easy within the accepted norm of looking for what is yours under every rock in your world. Givers look for opportunities to go out of their way to make a difference in others days or in some instances, help change another life.

I was told by wife one time that she considered me to be a taker, while she was a giver. That assessment stunned me to my core. I did not consider myself to be so, but stepped back from the experience to review the evidence. With time I had to agree that my taking outbalanced the giving experiences in my life. At that exact moment I decided to do all I could to turn that perception on its ear.

If you want to do the same, look for opportunities to influence someone else with your generosity. It doesn't require a gift involving money to accomplish this. Giving of your time or expertise is as important to another as the cash.

Personally I try to do something for someone without their knowing, so it is purely about giving and not receiving. The joy is in helping another, not reveling in the attention. At my church we just completed a project to assemble the items for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We managed to send 493 of these little packages of joy into the world. Somewhere over the next few months a child will open this package and their heart will swell with joy. That is what I call giving.

Learn more about this author, Joe Owens.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Is giving really better than receiving??
We want to hear your view. Write now!