| Week-Day Religion |
Chapter 30 |
Page 7 |
The meaning of all this is that we are to receive even our spiritual gifts and blessings not only as mere tokens of the love and kindness of God toward us, but also as new powers wherewith we are to serve our fellow men. It is easy to be selfish even in the region of our most sacred spiritual life. We may want comfort only that we may be comforted ourselves. We may desire high attainments in Christian life for their own sake, with no wish to be made thereby greater blessings to the world. But when we seek in this way we may not receive. Even in spiritual things selfishness restrains the divine outflow toward us.
God does not like to bestow his blessings where they will be hoarded or absorbed. He loves to put his very best gifts into the hands of those who will not store them away in barns, or fold them up in napkins and hide them away, but will scatter them abroad. He puts songs into the hearts of those who will sing them out again. This is the secret of that promise that to him that hath shall be given, and of that other little understood, little believed word of Christ, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Heaven’s benediction comes, not upon the receiving, but upon the dispensing. We are not blessed in the act of taking, but in the act of giving out again. Things we take to keep for ourselves alone fade in our hands. Men are good and great before God, not as they gather into their hands and hearts the abundant gifts of God, whether temporal or spiritual, but as their gatherings augments their usefulness and makes them greater blessing to others.
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