According to Adam Grant, author of “Give and Take,” there are three different types of reciprocity types: givers, takers, and matchers.

Givers, takers, and matchers–What’s the difference between these types? According to Grant…

• Takers are self-focused and put their own interests ahead of others’ needs. They try to gain as much as possible from their interactions while contributing as little as they can in return.
• Matchers like to preserve an equal balance of giving and taking. Their mindset is: “If you take from me, I’ll take from you. If you give to me, I’ll give to you.”
• Givers are others-focused, and tend to provide support to others with no strings attached. They ask themselves, “How can I add value for this person? What can I contribute?”

Grant continues to say that there are two types of givers: ‘selfless’ givers and ‘otherish’ givers among us.

• Selfless givers, as you may guess, are the ones who drop everything to help people all the time, which means they tend to fall behind on their own work. Therefore, they usually end up at the bottom of the success ladder (though they’re still happier people than takers).
• On the other hand, otherish givers are smart and strategic about their giving. While they’re just as much givers as the selfless givers, they’ve learned to successfully navigate a world with matchers and takers, so others don’t take advantage of them.

Mm, Let’s see what Jesus says….

Mark 4, The Message

Giving, Not Getting

^21-22 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a bucket or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.

²³ “Are you listening to this? Really listening?

^24-25 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN, HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is the Giver of all givers.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16  Jesus is the greatest gift of all to all the world!  Who can outgive God?  (No one!)

Jesus is bringing God out into the open, demonstrating for all to see this Love of God, while telling stories for greater human understanding about God.  He is not hiding anything of God from the people.  “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12) Jesus is not keeping this great Light and Love from people but bringing this Light out into the open for all to see.  

Are we listening, really listening?

When we believe, repent of our sins, accept Jesus’ forgiveness, with a decision to follow in His ways, we experience a new way of thinking, a new life of giving, a new voice from God through Jesus, to share the secret of eternal life—Jesus in us!  (Colossians 1:42)

New life—New goals!  As believers, we no longer strive to get ahead in the world on our own, we follow what God wants for us. We are more giving and compassionate because God loves a cheerful giver and we love God.  We help when help is needed because we are changing because of Jesus in us—our inside thinking becomes “others” focused therefore what people see on the outside is different.  Our new goal, as Paul so eloquently writes is Jesus, the Giver of Life!

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”  Philippians 3:8-14, NLT

God’s generous gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus, His Son…Hide it under a bushel?  No!  I’m gonna let it shine—in Jesus Name by telling His story for His glory!

 “Freely you have received; freely give.” –Jesus to His disciples.  Mattew 10:8

“Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”—Jesus

Lord,

We learn that giving is what you do and who you are. To become more and more like you, we become givers that think beyond human understanding in this world.  We give with no thought to expecting anything in return. Giving, Helping, Telling becomes our lifestyle and a character trait of you that develops in us!  Thank you for not only saving us because of your love for us; but for growing us in your ways by your mercy and grace.  We don’t deserve it, but you give still.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  May I be a giver of Light!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

And we’re singing… “Freely, Freely” (Carol Owen, 1972)

 God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name.
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his love as he told me to.

He said ‘Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.