Jesuit theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “The most satisfying
thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to
others.” Anyone who has unselfishly helped another person knows this to be
true. Yet not everyone is able to adopt an ongoing mind-set of giving toward
others. Why is that? I believe it has nothing to do with circumstances. I’ve
met generous people with almost nothing who were willing to share what little
they possessed. And I’ve met well-off people who were stingy with their time,
money, and talents. The issue is really attitude.
People who give with no strings attached almost always have an
abundance mentality. They are generous because they believe that if they give,
they will not run out of resources. Pastor and former college professor Henri
Nouwen states, “When we refrain from giving, with a scarcity mentality, the
little we have will become less. When we give generously, with an abundance
mentality, what we give away will multiply.”
I have found this to be true. Someone once asked me why he should adopt
an abundance mentality, and he was surprised by my answer. I told him that if
you believe in abundance, that’s what life gives you. If you believe in
scarcity, then that’s what you get. I don’t know why that is, but after fifty
years of paying attention to people’s attitudes and watching how life unfolded
for them, I know it to be true. So if you desire to be more generous, change
your thinking and your attitude when it comes to abundance. Not only will it
allow you to be more generous, but also it will change your life.
Give
first, no matter what your circumstances may be.
No comments:
Post a Comment