Kwa Nini Ni Heri Kutoa Kuliko Kupokea?

Jibu la swali hapo juu linaweza kuwa, "Hivi ndivyo Yesu alisema, (imenukuliwa katika Matendo 20:15), na neno lake ni Haki.” Msemo huu kwa hakika ni ukweli mkuu, ambapo Mungu mwenyewe ndiye chanzo cha kila karama, akiunga mkono kile ambacho Paulo alisema katika Waebrania 7:7, “Na bila kupingana chochote, mdogo hubarikiwa na aliye bora.” Sikuzote tunapaswa kukumbuka baraka na manufaa nyingi za Mungu kwetu, na furaha kuu ambayo Mungu lazima apate anapoona uumbaji Wake ukifanya mapenzi Yake, kama vile Mwana Aliyetutuma. Tunapaswa, kwa kuthamini wema wa Mungu kwetu, kufuata kielelezo cha utumishi na unyenyekevu wa Yule aliyetumwa, kama Yesu alivyosema. "Kwa maana nimewapa kielelezo, ili nanyi mfanye kama mimi nilivyowatendea." (John 13: 15)

The answer to the question above could simply be, "this is what Jesus said, (quoted in Acts 20:15), and His word is Truth." This saying is indeed a great truth, where God Himself is the source of every gift, supporting what Paul said in Hebrews 7:7, “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” We should always be mindful of God's many blessings and benefits towards us, and the great pleasure God must derive when He sees His creation doing His will, even as did the Son He sent us. We should, in appreciation of God's goodness toward us, follow the example of service and humility of the One sent, as Jesus said "For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15)

Tunapofikiria kutoa, tunaelekea, kwa ujumla, kufikiria mambo ya muda kama vile kutoa fedha kwa maskini, kukumbuka mfano wa Msamaria Mwema ambaye alitoa msaada wa kimwili, hivyo kuonyesha uthamini wake kwa mapenzi ya Mungu yanayotiwa ndani katika sheria ya kifalme iliyoonyeshwa na Yakobo. , "…mpende jirani yako kama nafsi yako..." (Yakobo 2:8). Lakini kwa kweli, kubarikiwa kimwili na fadhili za Msamaria kungekuwa kumetoa baraka kubwa hata zaidi kwa mpokeaji, ile ya kuongeza uwezo wake wa kutoa huruma kwa wengine ambayo ingeenea kama miale ya nuru….. tofauti na yule mtumishi mwovu aliyesamehewa. deni kubwa na bwana wake, tu kupoteza neema hiyo kwa kutomrudishia mdeni wake hata kidogo kwa sababu alikuwa mnyonge, asiye na shukrani kwa wema alioonyeshwa na kutoweza kuona. ( Mathayo 18:28 )

When we think of giving, we tend, generally, to think of temporal things like giving money to the poor, remembering the parable of the Good Samaritan who gave physical help, thus showing his appreciation for God's will embodied in the royal law expressed by James, "…you shall love your neighbor as yourself…" (James 2:8). But in reality, being physically blessed by the Samaritan's kindness should have imparted an even greater blessing on the receiver, that of increasing his ability to impart compassion to others that would spread as rays of light…..unlike that wicked servant who was forgiven a great debt by his master, only to lose that grace by not returning even a little back to his debtor because of he was self-absorbed, unthankful for the kindness shown him and not able to see. (Matthew18:28)

Kutoa huenda mbali zaidi ya kimwili. Hebu tukumbuke kile Yakobo anasema katika Yakobo 5:20, "Na ajue ya kuwa yeye amrejezaye mwenye dhambi hata kutoka katika njia ya upotevu, ataokoa roho na mauti, na kufunika wingi wa dhambi." Sasa nauliza, je, kuna baraka yoyote kubwa zaidi, kwa mtoaji na mpokeaji, kuliko hii? Tunapotoka katika njia yetu katika njia ya kuishi ili kutoa fadhili na ufahamu, sisi daima tunakusanya kwetu wenyewe marafiki wengi na baraka zinazoambatana, kama vile Yesu alisema katika Marko 10:29-31, "Hakuna mtu aliyeacha nyumba, au ndugu, au dada, au baba, au mama, au watoto, au mashamba, kwa ajili yangu na kwa ajili ya Injili, lakini atapokea mara mia sasa wakati huu, nyumba. na ndugu, na dada, na mama, na watoto, na mashamba, pamoja na mateso; na katika ulimwengu ujao uzima wa milele.” Na tunajua kwamba utoaji huo ni kama kwa Bwana (Mathayo 25:40).

Giving goes far beyond the physical. Let us remember what James says in James 5:20, “Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Now I ask, is there any greater blessing, for both giver and receiver, than this? When we go out of our way in the course of living to impart kindness and understanding, we continually gather unto ourselves countless friends and accompanying blessings, even as Jesus said in Mark 10:29-31, “There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” And we know that such giving is as unto the Lord (Matthew 25:40).

Kutoa, na baraka zinazofuata, hupita zaidi ya kimwili, na kama ilivyoonyeshwa, huakisi upendo tunaopaswa kuwa nao na kuonyeshana sisi kwa sisi. Yesu anatuambia kwamba Mungu humrudi yule anayempenda. Je, hii si baraka? Hilo linanikumbusha tukio nililopata nikiwa na ndugu mzee tukiwa pamoja kwenye gari. Mazungumzo yalihusu uaminifu, na uzoefu kwenye laini ya kuondoka kwenye duka ambapo kosa linaweza kufanywa kwa niaba ya mtu. Nilijibu kuwa ninaleta makosa haya kwa karani, labda isipokuwa ikiwa nina haraka na/au nimekerwa. Kwa bahati mbaya, ingawa inaonekana kwamba kiwango cha ufahamu wangu au ukosefu wake kiliwekwa wazi kwa ndugu huyu mzee, lakini sikupokea marekebisho. Marekebisho ambayo yalinistahili, na ambayo, naamini, yasingeanguka kwenye masikio ya uziwi. Ilinichukua muda baada ya mjadala huo kabla sijagundua kwamba kukasirishwa au kuharakisha hakukuwa kisingizio cha kukosa uaminifu, na ilikuwa sababu zaidi ya kujitahidi kuwa mwadilifu. ( Mt. 5:46 ) Tunapofanya jambo linalofaa, tunaacha nuru yetu ing’ae tukiwa kielelezo, na hivyo kumtukuza Baba yetu wa Mbinguni anayetujali. Je, kuna baraka yoyote zaidi? Hatupaswi kupuuza baraka tunazotoa katika hali kama hizo, na baraka kubwa zaidi tunazojiwekea sisi wenyewe (Mathayo 6:20). Pia hatupaswi kamwe kupuuza wajibu wetu wa kushughulikia makosa kwa kujua.

Giving, and the ensuing blessings, goes beyond the physical, and as noted, reflects the love we should have and demonstrate toward one another. Jesus tells us that God chastens the one He loves. Is this not a blessing? This reminds me of an incident I experienced with an elder brother while riding together in a car. The conversation centered on honesty, and experiences at a store check-out line where a mistake may be made in one's favor. I responded that I bring these errors to the attention of the clerk, perhaps with the exception if I'm in a hurry and/or irritated. Unfortunately, while it seems the level of my understanding or lack thereof was made clear to this elder brother, yet I received no correction. Correction that was due me, and which, I believe, would not have fallen on deaf ears. It took me some time after that discussion before I realized that being irritated or in a rush were no excuse for dishonesty, and was all the more reason to strive to be righteous. (Matt. 5:46) When we do the right thing, we let our light shine as an example, thus glorifying our Heavenly Father who cares for us. Is there any greater blessing? We should not discount the blessing we impart in such situations, and the greater blessings we lay up for ourselves (Matthew 6:20). We should also never knowingly neglect our responsibility to address error.

Nukuu ya Yesu katika kichwa inaweka wazi kwamba wapokeaji wa zawadi na watoaji wanabarikiwa, lakini watoaji wanapokea baraka kubwa zaidi. Mpokeaji anafaidika kutokana na kile anachopokea, iwe kutoka kwa kipawa halisi cha muda au mfano wa kimungu unaoandamana nao, upande wa kiroho wa kipawa hicho cha muda. Bado mtu hubarikiwa tu na upande wa kiroho ikiwa mfano wa wema uliopokelewa utachukuliwa moyoni na kutumiwa. Mtoaji kwa upande mwingine anafananishwa na mtumishi katika mfano wa talanta ambazo Yesu anatupa katika Mathayo 25. Mtumishi aliyetenda kwa maslahi ya bwana wake alipata zaidi ya aliyokuwa nayo, na yule mtumishi ambaye hakumtumikia bwana wake vyema. , alipoteza hata alichokuwa nacho. Ni kanuni nzuri jinsi gani kwamba mpokeaji baraka (sisi sote) ana nafasi ya kushiriki kile anachopewa, na hivyo pia kupokea baraka kubwa zaidi kama mtoaji. Kutenda huku kwa masilahi ya Bwana wetu hakupaswi kuonwa kuwa dhabihu, bali ni njia tu ya maisha inayotamaniwa, inayothibitishwa na jinsi wale waliobarikiwa wakati wa kurudi kwa Bwana walivyojibu, “Ni lini tulipowaona ninyi mkiwa na njaa tukakulisha…” (Mathayo 25:37)

Jesus's quote in the title makes it clear that both receivers of gifts and the givers are blessed, but the givers receive the greater blessing. The receiver benefits from that which he receives, whether from the actual temporal gift or accompanying godly example, the spiritual side of that temporal gift. Yet one is only blessed by the spiritual side if the example of kindness received is taken to heart and applied. The giver on the other hand is likened to the servant in the parable of the talents that Jesus gives us in Matthew 25. The servant that acted in his master's interest received far more than he had, while the servant who did not serve his master well, lost even that which he had. What a beautiful principle that the receiver of a blessing (all of us) has the opportunity to share that which he or she is given, and thus also receive the greater blessings as a giver. This acting in our Master's interest should not be seen as a sacrifice, but simply a desired way of life, evidenced by how those who were blessed on the Lord's return answered, "When did we ever see you hungry and feed you…" (Matthew 25:37)

Hebu kila mara tukumbuke baraka zisizohesabika tunazopokea kila siku kutoka kwa Baba yetu wa Mbinguni, na tusichukulie kitu chochote kirahisi. Acheni sisi kama wasimamizi wazuri wa baraka hizi, vyote tulivyo navyo, tuwe watoaji kama Bwana na Mwokozi wetu, na hivyo kupokea baraka kubwa zaidi.

Let us always be mindful of the countless blessings we receive every day from our Heavenly Father, and not take anything for granted. Let us as good stewards of these blessings, all that we have, become givers like our Lord and Savior, and thus receive the greater blessing.

J. D. ©CDMI