It is more blessed to give than to receive

 In Acts 20:35, we are taught a truth that challenges common logic: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." However, one of the greatest difficulties we face is understanding that the essence of the Christian life lies in serving others. When we fail to grasp this, we fall into the trap of always seeking to receive, which can lead to "spiritual illnesses" such as apathy, pride, and the inability to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God.

With an attitude of superiority and a hardened heart, we often judge others, believing that we would do better if we were in their place. This behavior not only feeds our pride but also distances us from Christ’s call to live a life of humility and service.

This past week, a special experience brought an opportunity to reflect on the principle of serving others, as taught by God’s Word. While working, a man I was providing services for made an unexpected request: he handed me a number of winter hats and one hundred dollars in five-dollar bills, asking me to distribute them to the homeless in the places where I worked. I believe this man's gesture was inspired by God because who else would challenge someone in such a way? At that moment, I felt as if I was being sent on a mission in God's name, and it was then that I began to see the invisible around me—dozens of people everywhere—people who often go unnoticed in our daily lives, especially in mine.

This experience has been deeply impactful and has left me ashamed for not having noticed before the number of people suffering daily around me. Distributing what that man entrusted to me was just the beginning of something I will not soon forget. More than a one-time act, it was an opportunity to perceive the magnitude of human suffering and how God calls us to serve Him through caring for those in need.

By connecting this experience with chapters 1 to 11 of Romans, we are reminded of the greatness of God’s compassion and grace. These chapters reveal the sovereign plan of redemption and lead us to humility before His immeasurable love. However, Paul’s appeal in Romans 12 for the renewal of the mind and surrender at the altar only becomes real when we understand that we exist to serve, not to be served. This understanding transforms our lives and compels us to live in a way that glorifies God.

This experience also perfectly aligns with the study of Romans 12, bringing spiritual renewal and a call to practice sincere love and humble service. I thank God for this opportunity and for how He orchestrates moments that help us live out the principles of His Word in a concrete and transformative way.

Development

1. The Foundation: A Life of Total Surrender to God

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1-2).

Before anything else, we are called to surrender completely to God. Being a living sacrifice means renouncing our own will and selfish desires to live according to His plan. A renewed mind is essential to understand and fulfill God’s will. This renewal helps us abandon complacency and apathy, leading us to an active life of service to others.

2. The Humility Necessary for Service

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).

Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to service. When we place ourselves above certain tasks or consider ourselves superior, we block our ability to serve in God’s Kingdom. I had the opportunity to reflect on this through an experience with winter hats and money for the homeless. God, in His mercy, used that moment to teach me the importance of a humble heart willing to serve. I confess that this is not something natural for me, so much so that I was struck by the sheer number of people I have seen. We cannot offer ourselves on God’s altar as living sacrifices unless we understand that we were created to serve, not to be served. Only then can we fully experience God’s good, perfect, and pleasing will.

3. Diversity and Unity in the Body of Christ

"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" (Romans 12:4-5).

The experience of distributing the hats helped me realize that each of us has a unique function in the body of Christ. While some preach, others teach, and others serve in practical ways. God uses these differences for His glory. By recognizing this, we learn to value each brother’s contributions and work in unity for the Kingdom.

4. The Practical Use of Spiritual Gifts

"If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:6-8).

God calls us to use our gifts in a practical and intentional way.

Conclusion

Romans 12 challenges us to move away from a selfish perspective and embrace a life of surrender, humility, and practical service. God invites us to see the invisible, to care for the needy, and to live as living sacrifices for His glory.

May we learn to give more than to receive, remembering that everything we have comes from God. By using our gifts and resources to serve, we experience the joy of being part of His redemptive plan. After all, He who called us is faithful and will complete the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

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Holy and Merciful God,

We come before You with broken hearts, acknowledging our failure to see others as You see them. So often, we are blinded by the idols we have erected in our hearts—pride, greed, and selfishness—and thus, we fail to perceive the needs around us. You have taught us in Acts 20:35 that it is more blessed to give than to receive, yet we are distracted by the relentless pursuit of what we can accumulate instead of dedicating ourselves to serving others.

Lord, forgive us for our spiritual blindness. We are so often like those who passed by the needy without extending a hand, distracted by the noise of our own desires. Yet You, in Your grace, have blessed us with opportunities to serve, and still, many of us, with hardened hearts, hesitate to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You.

We recognize that, as sinners, our tendency is to focus on ourselves and our comfort. The idols that promise happiness without demanding true transformation deceive us. However, You, in Your infinite patience, have called us to the renewal of our minds so that we may see beyond ourselves, perceive the suffering around us, and respond with the heart of Christ.

O Lord, may we humbly see the needy not as objects of our charity but as brothers and sisters whom You have placed in our path. Give us eyes to see, hands to help, and hearts willing to serve. May we abandon any thoughts of superiority that distance us from Your calling and instead offer ourselves as living sacrifices, to live out Your good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Teach us not to be blind but to be light in a world so in need of Your love. May we be instruments of Your compassion, spreading Your grace wherever we go, always remembering that in serving others, we are serving You.

Through Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.